The late, great Hawaiian legend Don Ho would like to sing Tiny Bubbles into your ears.

It’s Don Ho time. “Tiny bubbles” are floating around everywhere in college baseball at this time of year. It almost seems like with this new RPI formula and the rewarding of road wins, the teams “on the bubble” are more numerous (and more diversified) than ever.

In case you don’t know anything about Don Ho, here’s a clip of him singing his legendary “tiny” ditty at the Hollywood Palace in 1967:

On Wednesday night, I got the chance to see a pair of teams squarely on that proverbial bubble as San Diego went into UC Irvine and picked up a sizable win by a 7-3 count. But history was made during the game as San Diego slugger Kris Bryant blasted home run No. 30 on the year, becoming just the second player since the BBCOR bat era to reach the 30-dinger club, joining Georgia Southern’s Victor Roache, who turned the trick in 2011.

This Torero win became even more important to the Torero cause since they blew an 11-3 lead the night before in a painful 12-11, 10-inning loss at UC Riverside. I got the chance to catch up with Torero honcho Rich Hill to discuss that whole RPI thing with him before the game. As usual with coach Hill, I pretty much just turned on the recorder and let him go. Here are a few snippets I pulled out of it.

- His response when I asked him if he thought his team was on the bubble:

“We are as “bubble” as you can possibly get, we are the definition of bubble.”

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- On his general feelings of where things are with the common start date and the RPI:

“I was okay with a common start date, but I never liked moving it back to mid-February. One of the things we struggle with as a private school is depth. We just don’t have the depth a lot of the teams in the big conferences have. So before the common start date, which rewarded kids in California, Florida and Texas who wanted to play in a warmer environment, it allowed us play Texas on January 21st, and then we could eliminate those mid-week games later in the season and concentrate our money into the pitching. And that has impacted the RPI for us a lot, along with the rewarding of road games in the formula.”

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- On his view of the change in the RPI formula and it’s effects:

“I Emailed Boyd Nation the other day. I asked him what our RPI would be this year under last year’s RPI formula. And he said we’d be at No. 38. Today, we’re at No. 50. So we’d be in, no problem. And I consider myself an RPI expert. I put so much time into scheduling for it, that’s why we played Kent State, Oregon State, Seton Hall, St. Louis… we’re playing all these league champions from across the country and our RPI is still in the 50s. So it’s very difficult from the WCC to build a really good RPI. It’s like that for just about everybody on the West Coast. Everything we do in scheduling is built toward Selection Monday.”

Kris Bryant’s leadership has been a difference-maker for coach Hill and the staff this season.

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- On his feelings about his team this year:

“I’ve never had a team that plays through mistakes so well as these guys do. I haven’t had a team as tough as this one, as resilient as these guys. Last night’s loss (to UC Riverside) was as tough of a loss as you can imagine. And today, you’d never know it. You’d think our guys were the ones who had a great walk-off win last night. That’s our biggest strength is that this is a real team. We’re mentally tough.”

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- On Kris Bryant:

“Like the old saying, as he goes, we go. The physical side of our team is obviously Kris Bryant. We’ve got to get a couple of guys on base in front of him, we’ve got to get a couple of guys behind him to protect him. We’ve put up some good offensive numbers in a really good WCC this year.”

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- On his freshman ace P.J. Conlon (9-0, 1.54):

“He’s definitely gonna be on your All-Sorenson Team. He’s like 5’9″ and touches 90, mostly 86-to-88, throws his slider anywhere in the count, works quick. He was the teammate of USC’s Kyle Twomey (3rd round draft pick last June), and Frank Cruz told me, ‘I know our guy was a 3rd-round draft pick, but your guy (Conlon) may be more effective in college.’ Born in Belfast, Ireland, he’s tough as nails. His father was a soccer player for Fullerton. He’s one of those players who you really fall in love with.”

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- If he had to take back one loss this year, which game would it be:

“It’s a double-edge sword really. Coz there was a game against San Francisco we lost on a Saturday night (April 27th) in extra innings. We made a big comeback to send it into extra innings, then we made a few mistakes… it was an excruciating loss. One that you’d definitely LOVE to have back. But after the game, the players closed the doors on the locker room and told us coaches to leave the room. An hour and a half later, after midnight, they came out and since that night, we’ve been a completely different team. A totally different energy. Leadership emerged. Bryant was at the forefront of that meeting, which he needed to be. So even though it was the worst night of our season, it ended up being the best night. Now we’re on a roll in the WCC, we’ve won six of seven, and we’re on the bubble.”

The energy of his team has been on an uptick ever since that painful Saturday night loss to San Francisco three weeks ago.

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- On the West Coast Conference having a post-season tournament:

“Philosophically I’m apposed to it. We play 24 games, you deal with injuries and hot streaks, cold streaks, all that. You know who the best team is. But on the other hand, I’ve never seen such energy to the conference either. Seven of the nine teams still have a chance to extend their season on the last weekend. There’s something to play for. It’s also the best way for the WCC to get multiple bids, which we feel we’ve deserved most years but haven’t gotten them often. So again, it’s good with the bad.”

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LIVING ON THE EDGE. 

Here are a baker’s dozen of teams I consider to be on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. Sure, your bubble teams might differ from mine, but here’s what I’m looking at for the toughest decisions the selection committee must come to grips with. (The rankings used are from Boyd Nation’s Thursday morning RPI release)

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- PITTSBURGH, 40-11, RPI No. 70

Pluses: 

First off, the Panthers are No. 1 in the Big East, ahead of RPI darlings like Louisville and Seton Hall, so if they win the regular season title, that has to have major pull for them. Their 15-5 road record is pretty good, but they are also one of only 11 teams with 40+ wins currently. Also, keep in mind how the committee rewarded regular season champs last year, even when their RPIs were in the 50s.

Minuses: 

An RPI of No. 70? Damn! It’s hard to escape that sore thumb. The strength of schedule is in the 240 range and a full 19 of their wins – nearly half, if I’m doing my math right – came at the expense of teams ranked No. 200 or higher.  Of those 15 road wins, the only really impressive ones were the season opening weekend at Wichita State.

What They Need To Do:

First off, try to come out with at least a co-championship in the Big East regular season. They’ll take on Louisville this weekend and, for God’s sake, just don’t get swept. If you win one, fine. If you win two?… You’re in. Other than that, be sure to make a deep run in the Big East tournament too. (Don’t worry Stitch-Heads, you’ll read that mantra a lot in this column, so get used to it.)

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- MICHIGAN STATE, 29-16, RPI No. 36

Pluses: 

The Spartans have some impressive Big 10 weekends, including series wins over Indiana (a sweep), Illinois and Ohio State. Early season road wins at Kentucky, Austin Peay and league-leaders Western Carolina and Tennessee Tech will help too. You guys made the NCAA tournament last year as the 5th place team in the Big 10, so you have a history of getting love from the committee.

Minuses: 

Getting swept vs. Michigan and losing the series to Iowa this past weekend really hurt their profile. If the season ended today, they’d finish 7th in the Big 10, meaning they’d miss the conference tournament. Win or lose, the final Big 10 weekend vs. last-place Penn State could pull the drapes down a little bit as well.

What They Need To Do:

Without a doubt, win the Penn State series, maybe even sweeping is a must. That will help make the Big 10 tournament, which is also a must. Now that I think of it, missing your conference tournament and still going to the NCAAs is sooooo SEC-like, and not so much a Big 10 thing.

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- UC SANTA BARBARA, 29-21, RPI No. 47 

Pluses: 

The RPI is getting nearer and nearer to the “good” range. Winning four of their last five Big West weekends – including series wins over Cal Poly and UC Irvine – has the Gauchos tagged as one of the hotter teams in the country.  Strength of schedule is 50th – albeit, 20th in Boyd Nation’s ISR – and they’ve proven that they’re willing to hit the road against good programs in non-conference play.

Minuses: 

Your knee-jerk reaction is probably, “Why isn’t UC Irvine on this list instead, since they’re behind the Anteaters in Big West play?” Losses to Hawaii (two) and even getting swept at Texas look really bad now. Six games vs. Pacific and UC Davis in the next two weekends won’t help their quality wins ledger either.

What They Need To Do:

It’s a must that the Gauchos finish the regular season ahead of UCI in the Big West standings, just to give them another leg to stand on. They also gotta hope like hell that they can sweep UP and UCD… or at least go 5-1. Oh, and go ahead and win that mid-weeker at UCLA on Tuesday too.

The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos hope to be dancing on Selection Monday.

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- NEBRASKA, 23-26, RPI No. 30

Pluses: 

With an RPI of No. 30, these guys could just waltz into the Big Dance if they pick up a few more wins. For a Big 10 team with a losing mark to have an RPI this high, just goes to show how good this conference is this year. Of course, the committee loves how tough of a non-conference slate they played too. Major props Mr. Erstad and Co.

Minuses: 

Losing record. Losing record. Losing record.

What They Need To Do:

C’mon guys, just get above the Mendoza Line. Simple as that. Just to make sure of everything, go ahead and sweep Michigan this weekend and then win two or three games in the Big 10 tournament. Otherwise, you’ll just have to take that sexy RPI and gloat about it on the golf course.

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- MARYLAND, 28-24, RPI No. 26

Pluses:

All talk about the bubble begins with “How many does the ACC get in?” The ACC is the top-rated conference in the country and has a ridiculous eight teams in the RPI Top 20. The Terrapins own wins over Virginia, Florida State, N.C. State, Miami, Virginia Tech and Clemson – all Top 20 RPI teams. With an RPI in the mid-20s, if the Terps were in any other conference, their inclusion would be a no-brainer, right?

Minuses: 

C’mon, their ACC record is 9-18 and their ONLY series win came at Duke. Other than that, they’ve lost every series. How can they be rewarded for this? A bad team in the ACC doesn’t mean they should be a bad team in the NCAAs.

What They Need To Do:

Hope to God that the selection committee leans heavily on the retarded RPI more so than most seasons. Otherwise, even a sweep of last place Boston College this weekend won’t help enough.

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- OKLAHOMA, 35-17, RPI No. 60 

Pluses: 

The Sooners spent a good portion of the season in the Top 20 of the RPI and beat teams like UCLA, New Mexico, Pepperdine, Kansas and TCU as part of their 25-5 start. Not bad, right? They’re tied for 2nd place in the Big 12, the No. 4-ranked conference in the country.

Minuses: 

The RPI has shockingly rocketed out-of-range in the at-large discussion in the last few weeks, after playing New Orleans and then losing weekends vs. West Virginia and Oklahoma State. The strength of schedule is 109th in the country and opening up with Hofstra and Arkansas-Pine Bluff didn’t help things.

What They Need To Do:

I s’pose the Sooners can make this all go away with a winning weekend at Kansas State, since that’d mean they’d win the regular season title and all. But short of that, just stay ahead of OSU in the Big 12 standings and win your way to the Big 12 tournament title game, just in case.

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- SAN DIEGO, 32-22, RPI No. 50 

Pluses: 

When the Toreros have played good teams, they’ve cashed in: having gone 7-2 vs. the Top 50 RPI teams they’ve played. They are the only team in the country to have a winning series vs. Oregon State. Being a mid-major and playing the No. 39-ranked strength of schedule is a good reflection on their attempt to schedule up. Also, don’t you think the NCAA selection committee will want to see Player of the Year Kris Bryant take his season into June?

Will Kris Bryant’s star power have any bearing on the selection committee’s awarding of an at-large to the Toreros, if they don’t win the WCC Tourney?

Minuses: 

When they’ve played the best teams in their conference, they’ve gone just 2-4 vs. Gonzaga and San Francisco. Inconsistent play in the non-WCC portion of the slate has killed them as well, as witnessed by the loss to UC Riverside, followed by the win at UC Irvine.

What They Need To Do:

With the new West Coast Conference tournament kicking in this year, short of winning the whole shebang in Stockton, go ahead and at least win a few games, preferably the ones against Gonzaga and USF for sure.

- FLORIDA, 28-25, RPI No. 23

Pluses: 

They play in THE monster conference and if they win the upcoming Georgia series, they’ll have a .500 or better record in that monster conference. That’s first and foremost. But also, they swept South Carolina and own series wins vs. Miami and Ole Miss. They’ve gone 14-7 since early April and they’ve played the No. 1 schedule in the country.

Minuses: 

They’ve rehashed their crappy play and gone just 3-6 in their last nine games. The Georgia series may help their win total, but how much will it drag their RPI down? And remember when fellow SEC mates LSU finished at No. 24 in the RPI in 2011 but didn’t go to the Big Dance? Eeeee.

What They Need To Do:

Get that sweep at Georgia this weekend and just make sure to go at last .500 in the SEC tournament. An 0-2 mark won’t be shined upon by the selection committee, especially with their cold play of late.

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- NOTRE DAME, 30-21, RPI No. 42

Pluses: 

The Irish have been in the Top 25 polls and in the 20s of the RPI nearly the entire season. Lots of good early wins (all of them away from South Bend, obviously) proved their mettle, like vs. Cal Poly, Oklahoma, Florida Gulf Coast, Ohio State, Tulane. They even started Big East play by taking two of three from Seton Hall.

Minuses: 

Since that Seton Hall weekend, the Irish have played .500 ball, going just 16-15. Losing two of three in their past two weekends has been a killer (vs. USF, at St. John’s). And this weekend’s series at Cincinnati will continue their RPI anchor effect, win or lose. They’ve also got a rather un-sexy 9-7 record vs. teams ranked 100-to-200, suffering some curious losses.

What They Need To Do:

Get their early-season MoJo back again. They’ve gone just 3-5 in their last eight, and you know how the selection committee doesn’t cotton to placing a cold team in their Field of 64. Plus, if they don’t sweep Cincy, they’ll end the Big East with a sub-.500 mark, which will be a huge strike against them.

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- AUBURN, 31-21, RPI No. 35 

Pluses: 

Like Florida, how can the committee deny an SEC team that has won 30+? And not only that, but the Tigers have beaten Ole Miss and Florida 2-of-3 in the last two weeks to boot. They’ve definitely become a different team in the last two months of the season. Home field vs. Arkansas is usually a good omen.

Minuses: 

They’re 11-16 and in last place in the SEC West. That means that 85% of the country says “Pffft! They don’t deserve a piece of wrapped crap.” When you play 12 non-conference home games against Maine, Middle Tennessee, Eastern Illinois and Brown, you deserve some ridicule from the committee.

What They Need To Do:

Stay hot in SEC play. Winning the series vs. Arkansas will be a great start and the usual advice – go far in the post-season tournament. But also hope this committee is one of those SEC-sympathizers, as they’ve been from time to time in the past.

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- CREIGHTON, 28-15, RPI No. 48

Pluses: 

The Bluejays are the top-rated team from the usually-strong Missouri Valley Conference. They can boast of wins over Nebraska, BYU, Kansas and a Dallas Baptist sweep to open the season. Hey, they’ve hosted the College World Series since the dawn of time… doesn’t the NCAA owe them a favor once in a while? Time to call one in.

Minuses: 

Unfortunately, the rest of the MVC hasn’t performed better than expected like CU has. Win or lose, the three-gamer with No. 146 Missouri State and the MVC tournament will drag down that RPI. Twenty-two of their 28 wins have come against 100+ ranked teams, leading to their 1-4 mark vs. Top 50. While the Jays sit at No. 48 in Boyd Nation’s RPI, they’re No. 55 in Warren Nolan’s. Pick one.

What They Need To Do:

In past years the committee has given benefit-of-the-doubt points for teams who have had multiple rain games – CU has had 16 games effected by rain, nine cancelled altogether. So they’ll have to hope the committee has a heart. Also, with their not winning the regular season title, a deep run in the MVC tourney is a must. Title game or bust guys.

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- NEW MEXICO, 32-18, RPI No. 59  

Pluses: 

You know how the committee loves a hot finish? Well after a 10-12 start the Lobos have gone 22-6 since. They’ve also lapped the field in the Mountain West this year, taking a 22-5 conference record into the final weekend. Wins against teams like Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Missouri State and Texas Tech ain’t too shabby, especially for a team that is geographically challenged like the Cherry & Silver.

Minuses: 

A non-conference record of 10-12 won’t win a lot of smiles from the committee. Plus, the RPI will probably dip a bit if they don’t sweep San Diego State this weekend. The post-TCU hangover effect; MWC has been terrible this year, being the 17th-ranked conference in the nation right now.

What They Need To Do:

Just don’t lose the series at SDSU and stay in the 50s, hoping the committee sees your dominance of the MWC as too strong of a factor to overlook. Avoiding an 0-and-2 MWC tournament would help too.

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- KENTUCKY, 29-22, RPI No. 28  

Pluses: 

Any team that can boast series wins over Florida and Mississippi State is probably worth their salt, right? Some non-conference wins to hang their hat on ain’t bad either with victims like Coastal Carolina, Indiana and Louisville. And again, this is a team from the SEC East… possibly the best division in college baseball.

Minuses: 

Well, that 10-17 SEC mark is pretty wart-on-a-witch ugly. Getting swept vs. LSU, South Carolina and Vanderbilt is not a total shame, but the committee might beg to differ. Missouri’s 141-RPI is gonna be an anchor this weekend as well.

What They Need To Do:

Losing a single game to Mizzou will be a killer, so go ahead and sweep here boys. Of course, beating anybody with Vanderbilt, LSU, South Carolina, Mississippi State or Ole Miss across their unis in the SEC tourney will really help.

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MOST IMPORTANT SERIES OF THE WEEKEND.

With the conference tournaments starting up next week, most of the nation has gone to a Thursday-Friday-Saturday weekend series look this week. But all across the country there are big conference-deciding showdowns to help determine the *real* champions of leagues across the country. In other words, this is a REALLY good time to have the Lear Jet all gassed up and your team of pilots, stewardesses and a few bottles of your favorite traveling liquid ready to go. Here are some of the best of the best.

10- No. 12 SOUTH CAROLINA at No. 17 MISSISSIPPI STATE.

The Gamecocks:

- 38-14, 16-10 SEC

RPI: No. 11

Offense: .286 ave., SEC-best 43 HRs

Pitching: 2.95 ERA

Defense: .973 fielding

Them Dogs:

- 38-15, 14-13 SEC

RPI: No. 10

Offense: .293 ave., SEC-best 238 BBs

Pitching: 2.68 ERA, SEC-best 438 Ks

Defense: .974 fielding

What’s at Stake:

This one’s not higher on the list simply because neither team is going to miss out on the NCAA tournament or anything. I s’pose the biggest deal is that both of these teams are playing for a chance to have a home Regional. A series win here and a couple of wins in the SEC tournament and a slot as one of the National Seeds isn’t out of the question.

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9- No. 19 CLEMSON at No. 8 FLORIDA STATE

The Tigers:

- 38-15, 17-10 ACC

RPI: No. 12

Offense: .282 ave.

Pitching: 2.94 ERA

Defense: .971 fielding

The Seminoles:

- 42-10, 18-9 ACC

RPI: No. 4

Offense: .291 ave.

Pitching: 2.66 ERA

Defense: .965 fielding

What’s at Stake:

A single game separates these two teams in the battle for the Atlantic Division title. Clemson still has hopes of pulling a home Regional assignment and could go a long way in solidifying that with a series win here. Considering their RPI, the Seminoles are in line for a National Seed… but you know how the ACC anti-wave is growing in size and fervor every time the retread RPI is released and has eight or nine ACC teams crowding the Top 20. This could still only be a Regional host assignment for both.

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8- No. 24 UC IRVINE at No. 5 CAL STATE FULLERTON

The Anteaters:

- 31-17, 13-8 Big West

RPI: No.  66

Offense: .286 ave.

Pitching: 3.37 ERA

Defense: .980 fielding

The Titans:

- 42-8, 17-4 Big West

RPI: No. 8

Offense: .287 ave., Big West-best 222 BBs

Pitching: 2.53 ERA, Big West-best 76 BBs issued

Defense: .976 fielding

What’s at Stake:

This could mean everything to the Anteaters. Sort of a win-or-go-home? Ummmm, maybe. More like, get-swept-and-go-home, because if the Eaters fall down the Big West rung too far, it’s Taps City – to use an Al McGuire saying. I’m thinking they may have to even win two games here to make their case for an at-large spot. Beyond a full-scale collapse, Fully is pretty much assured of a National Seed and playing at home all the way ’til Omaha.

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7- TROY at No. 25 SOUTH ALABAMA

The Trojans:

- 37-15, 18-9 Sun Belt

RPI: No. 43

Offense: .299 ave., SBC-best 132 doubles

Pitching: 4.09 ERA

Defense: .979 fielding

The Jags:

- 39-14, 19-8 Sun Belt

RPI: No. 14

Offense: .303 ave.

Pitching: 4.06 ERA

Defense: .969 fielding

What’s at Stake:

The Sun Belt regular season crown will be handed out at Stanky Field this weekend. But even more than that, the Jaguars are still bucking for a home Regional with their workable RPI and whatnot. The Trojans should be in good shape, at-large-wise and all, but you never know what can happen to a mid-major team, especially if they get swept. There’s not much mercy given to a mid-major who slips badly late in the season. So they can’t afford a total flat-line here.

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6- No. 15 INDIANA at OHIO STATE

The Hoosiers:

- 38-12, 15-6 Big 10

RPI: No.  15

Offense: .306 ave., Big 10-best 42HRs

Pitching: 2.58 ERA

Defense: .964 fielding

The Buckeyes:

- 33-19, 14-7 Big 10

RPI: No. 61

Offense: .263 ave.

Pitching: 3.12 ERA, Big 12-best 357 Ks

Defense: .975 fielding

What’s at Stake:

The Big 10 regular season title… and so much more. For instance, even though the Buckeyes enter this weekend in 2nd place, a game behind Indiana for the Big 10 title, the Scarlett and Gray are far from out of the woods. For instance, if they should lose all three games here, there’s a chance they could tumble down to 7th place by the end of the weekend. And yes, in case you didn’t know there are only six teams allowed in the Big 10 tournament. So you do the math.

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5- No. 21 OKLAHOMA at No. 22 KANSAS STATE

The Sooners:

- 35-17, 12-9 Big 12

RPI: No.  60

Offense: .287 ave.

Pitching: 3.01 ERA, Big 12-best 456 Ks

Defense: .970 fielding

The Wildcats:

- 37-15, 14-7 Big 12

RPI: No. 21

Offense: .321 ave.

Pitching: 3.77 ERA

Defense: .974 fielding

What’s at Stake:

These two are at the top of the Big 12 standings and will fight it out for the regular season crown in Manhattan this weekend. Though a regular season title is huge one way or another, this series could be of more importance for the Sooners, who have back-slid all the way down to the 60s of the RPI (?). Hard to believe this team was ranked in the Top 10 just a matter of weeks ago.

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4- No. 23 PITTSBURGH at No. 10 LOUISVILLE

The Panthers:

- 40-12, 18-3 Big East

RPI: No. 70

Offense: .308 ave., Big East-best 256 BBs

Pitching: 3.43 ERA

Defense: .965 fielding, Big East-best 57 double plays

The Cardinals:

- 43-10, 17-4 Big East

RPI: No. 19

Offense: .295, Big East-best 135 SBs

Pitching: 2.40 ERA, Big East-best 520Ks

Defense: .970 fielding

What’s at Stake:

For Pitt, it could mean a do-or-die time for getting in the NCAA tournament, as spelled out above. For Louisville, getting a Regional at Patterson Stadium will be a lot easier if they can put the words “Big East Champion” at the top of their resume.

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3- No. 7 VIRGINIA at No. 4 NORTH CAROLINA

The Cavaliers and Wahoos:

- 43-8, 20-7 ACC

RPI: No. 3

Offense: .317 ave.

Pitching: 2.99 ERA, ACC-low 118BBs

Defense: .969 fielding

The Tarheels:

- 46-6, 20-5 ACC

RPI: No. 2

Offense: .310 ave.

Pitching: 2.39 ERA

Defense: .975 fielding

What’s at Stake:

Carolina leads the Cavs by a single game in the Coastal Division and this series will also decide who earns the No. 1 overall seed for the ACC Tournament. Although both teams are pretty well cemented as National Seeds, you never know what a total collapse could do for either team here. Keep the tips up boys.

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2- No. 3 OREGON STATE at No. 6 OREGON

The Beavers:

- 41-8, 20-4 Pac 12

RPI: No. 6

Offense: .286 ave.

Pitching: 2.06 ERA, Pac 12-low 131BBs

Defense: .972 fielding, Pac 12-high 51 double plays

The Ducks:

- 41-11, 19-5 Pac 12

RPI: No. 7

Offense: .264 ave.

Pitching: 2.61 ERA, Pac 12-best 368Ks

Defense: .972 fielding

What’s at Stake:

The Pac 12 title is the big kahuna here for one of these. Going in, the Beavers hold a one-game lead. But this is the Civil War… all hell could break loose at any time this weekend. But either way, the guess here is a tightly-contested weekend that comes down to the last out on a couple of games. The loser here runs the risk of missing out on a National Seed.

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1- THE PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAYOFFS. 

- Army vs. Holy Cross.

These two teams won their first round best-of-threes last week with the Knights beating their rivals Navy and the Crusaders eliminating Bucknell in two straight.

The Black Knights of the Hudson:

- 27-21, 11-9 Patriot League

RPI: No.  225

Offense: .267 ave.

Pitching: 4.00 ERA

Defense: .967 fielding

The Crusaders:

- 28-23, 15-5 Patriot League

RPI: No. 186

Offense: .290 ave.

Pitching: 5.68 ERA

Defense: .967 fielding

What’s at Stake:

The best-of-three winners will earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Holy Cross being the regular season champion will get to host the series at Fitton Field in Worcester. In the four-game weekend these two played against each other, the Knights won game one 10-6, then Holy Cross went all Holy Cow on the boys from West Point, winning the next three, scoring 23 runs in the process. Look for more fireworks this weekend.

The one time I went to Fitton Field, I was stunned at how nice and big of a facility it was. This is a shot of where the Patriot League Playoffs will be held this weekend in Worcester. (No, this isn’t a picture I took)

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OTHER TOP SERIES

- Charlotte (33-19, 16-5) at St. Louis (34-17, 15-6)

The 49ers are in 1st place in the Atlantic 10, a game ahead of the Billikens and LaSalle, who are tied at 15-6. The Explorers will travel to 7th-place George Washington.

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- Belmont (36-16, 21-6) at Tennessee Tech (37-14, 22-5)

Tech takes a one-game lead into this series to decide the Ohio Valley Conference. Third place Jacksonville State is at 20-7 and will host 9th-place Morehead State.

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- South Dakota State (30-18, 15-7) at Nebraska-Omaha (24-21, 17-5)

New member UNO has taken the Summit by storm, leading the Jackrabbits by two games going into the final weekend of the season. These two will play a four-game series in Omaha to decided the title.

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BAD SERIES.

Considering their status in the RPI, I bet these teams wish they could reschedule their final regular season weekend. These teams will feel a bad anchor effect this weekend:

- Campbell. 

43-9 overall and No. 33 in the RPI

This Weekend: Hosting No. 273 New Orleans (7-41)

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- Mercer.

39-14 overall and No. 24 in the RPI

This Weekend: Will finish Atlantic Sun play at No. 285 Northern Kentucky (8-44)

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- Michigan State.

31-16 overall and at No. 36 in the RPI

This Weekend: Playing at No. 237-ranked Penn State (13-34)

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Kentucky reliever Trevor Gott gets some fives after securing the win over No. 15 Indiana tonight.

I couldn’t help but notice all the good relief stints that occurred in college baseball tonight, several of which were on the tube. And also several of which had big NCAA Tournament implications. So I hope you don’t mind that I did a little write-up and running commentary below.

I’m never one to put more emphasis on a mid-week game than a weekend game, but there were some biggies tonight. And besides, we ARE getting to that down-to-the-wire time of year after all.

Let’s dive into a few…

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BEST WIN. 

Indiana – 3

Kentucky – 5

A day after posting that I wasn’t sure UK deserved an at-large bid, they go out and beat the No. 15 team in the country. A much-needed win indeed. The Cats came from a 3-2 deficit with a pair of runs, keyed by the go-ahead RBI from A.J. Reed in the bottom of the 7th. Fireballing righty Trevor Gott came on to get the save with a perfect 9th inning, his program-record 23rd career save. Also, this marked the 86th straight game where Kentucky has had an 8th-inning lead and went on to win the game.

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WORST LOSS.

Kent State – 6

Pittsburgh – 5

The Panthers may have the one-game lead on Louisville in the Big East but even at 40-12 as their overall record, they still sit way down at No. 65 in the RPI. So you have to figure, even with a series win at Louisville, they may be hard-pressed to get into the Top 45 range of the RPI. That’s why every bit of lost traction, like tonight’s loss to the Flashes, is a pain to their hopes.

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TY’S WEB.

Presbyterian – 2

South Carolina – 4

The Gamecocks’ big lefty, Tyler Web,  tied the school record by making his 102nd appearance in tonight’s 4-2 win vs. Presbyterian. But it came with the help of a real web gem. With a man on 2nd and no outs in the 9th inning, Webb’s first pitch was greeted by PC’s Cam McRae with a rocket shot to right field. Just before the ball could hit terra firma, right fielder Sean Sullivan made a diving stab and caught the ball about two feet off the ground. Turns out, that would be a much-needed out as the Blue Hose (cool name) would plate a run a batter later. But Webb picked up his 15th save of the season to get the W.

Ty Webb, right, made his 102nd appearance in a South Carolina uniform tonight, earning the save in the win over pesky Presby.

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COCO BEWARE.

Louisville – 6

Ohio State – 3

Louisville’s Coco Johnson went kuckoo for cocoa puffs, hitting a pair of yard calls, including a tone-setter of a 3-run shot in the first inning to pace the Cardinals to a 6-3 win at Ohio State. Nick Burdi kept the big-relief theme going by picking up his 12th save, getting out of a 2-men-on jam he inherited in the 8th inning before closing things down in the 9th. This was L’ville’s eighth straight win over Ohio State and extends their current overall win streak to 13 games as they welcome Big East-leading Pitt to Patterson Stadium this weekend.

Coco Johnson had a 5-ribbie night vs. Ohio State, which included two bombs to left field.

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STAY CALM AND GIVE UP JUST ONE HIT.

Appalachian State – 0

North Carolina – 2

You do know that North Carolina can pitch its ass off, right? I mean, big time. Well that goes for mid-week games too as the Heels used three pitchers in their win over the Mountaineers – Riley Hovis, Chris McCue and Chris Munnelly – and they combined for 10Ks and just a weak single – a Will Callaway dink into right field in the 1st inning. Yes, this displays their well-heeled depth on the mound, once again.

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BIG CROWD, BIG ROUT.

Ole Miss – 3

Southern Miss – 10

The Eagles haven’t had many big out-of-conference wins this season, but tonight they took down No. 18 Ole Miss for the second time this season, and this time by a large margin with a large amount of Eagles fans looking on. A crowd of 4,526 saw the Eagles plate four runs in the 4th and four more in the 6th as they breezed to an easy win. Blake Brown went 3-for-4 with a two-run bomb in that 4th inning and Austin Roussel chimed in with a 4-for-4 day. Too bad USM’s RPI is sitting way down at No. 117, despite their 1st place standing in Conference USA. This also pushes the Rebels’ hopes of hosting a Regional to the back-burner a tad, since they came in with a No. 20 ranking.

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ANOTHER BIG CROWD, ANOTHER BIG WIN

Nebraska – 12

Creighton – 9

Some 10,418 fans streamed into the Big Tiddy tonight to see the Cornhuskers keep their post-season hopes alive. The Huskers raced out to a 9-1 lead after four and a half innings before holding on for dear life. Catcher Tanner Lubach did the most damage from his 8-hole spot in the order, going 3-for-4 with a home run and 4RBI. Federico Castagnini led the Bluejays with two hits, two RBI and a home run – presumably not to center field. The Huskers improve to 24-26 as they try to forge their way to a .500+ record so they can ride their No. 32 RPI into the Big Dance.

By the way, the weather in Omaha at first pitch tonight was 95-fuggin-degrees. Yuck!

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CHIP OFF THE BLOCK.

Michigan State – 5  10

Centr. Michigan- 4   0

MSU picked up a pair of wins to race past the 30-win plateau on the season, by a 5-4 count in a game that was a continuation of the April 17th game, and by 10-0. Cam Gibson, the son of former Spartan outfielder/wide receiver Kirk Gibson, led the Big Green in game two by going 4-for-6 from his leadoff spot. Sparty is now 31-16 overall and at No. 41 in the RPI.

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ANOTHER STRIKE FOR THE NATIONAL SEED.

UCLA – 2

Cal State Fullerton – 5

The Titans sit at No. 9 in the RPI but will get a huge bump from this win tonight over their Southland rivals. Anthony Hutting’s 1st inning, 3-run salvo to the arboretum is all the Titans needed tonight as they secure a big win in their hopes for a national seed. They’ll host UC Irvine in a huge Big West battle this weekend.

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MORE NATIONAL SEED TALK. 

Gonzaga – 3

Oregon – 4

Poor Gonzo, they lead the West Coast Conference but the Zags entered tonight’s game with an RPI of 100th. But like Fullerton, the Ducks need all the wins they can get as they look to solidify a National Seeding as well. Tonight, they white-knuckled their way to a 9th-inning jog-off win from Ryan Hambright’s game-winning single. It looks to me like the West will get four home Regionals and three National Seeds in Fullerton, Oregon and Oregon State. That is, unless someone goes 0-for between now and announcement Monday.

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WE GOT SOME DOGS UP IN HERE. 

Oral Roberts – 2

Mississippi State – 3

Tonight’s edging of the Eagles improves MSU’s non-conference record to 24-2, including a perfect 11-0 in mid-week games. The 24 non-conference wins is the most the Dogs have racked up in a season since the 1989 team went 25-5 in non-SEC play. Also in the notes section: Jonathan Holder came on to get his 14th save of the year with 1.1 innings of 4K work and sets the single season saves record for the Maroons in the process. Woof!

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OUCH.

San Diego – 11

UC Riverside – 12  (10 inns)

Man, did the Toreros ever need this one… and they ditched it the late innings. USD got out to a 3-0 lead after they batted in the top of the 3rd inning. But the Highlanders scored in every inning the remainder of the game, including coming back from an 11-6 deficit at the singing of Take Me Out to the Ballgame at the stretch. Kris Bryant added to his nation-leading home run total, adding his 29th dinger of the year in the 5th inning. But that two-run homer wouldn’t be enough as UCR scored three in the 7th, one in the 8th, one in the 9th to send the game to extras and then one more in the 10th to seal the deal. San Diego’s No. 50 RPI is still quite tenuous.

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G’night

Don’t let the zombied faces fool you, these guys will beat the hell out of your team. Gage Smith (in the Rollie Fingers ‘stache), Brandon Leibrandt and Scott Sitz ham it up for the camera in the final inning of the Monday win over N.C. State. Supreme Tomfoolery.

A good bud of mine, Mike Groce, who is a radio host in Phoenix who has me on his show from time to time during the baseball season, sent me a link to an article from the Denver Post regarding this writer’s assertion that Colorado and Colorado State need to bring back baseball to their respective athletic departments.

If you want to check it out, click here.

That got me thinking. Back in the early 2000s I wrote a column on the schools which I thought really needed to field a baseball team – either as they have before, or that they should start a program. And looking back in hindsight now, just think about how successful the Oregon baseball program has become since it’s renewal. Un-freakin-believable!

So just for shits and giggles, I went deep into the archives and found the column. And just for a good laugh, I’m going to re-post it here. Now, keep in mind that this was written in 2003, so if I get a comment from anyone saying, “Dude, Oregon already DID bring back baseball.” I’m going to expose that person as the jack-ass that they are.

Here you go…

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Schools That Should Bring Back Baseball

Perhaps no sport in Division I is more transient than baseball. Baseball programs have been popping up and dropping down constantly over the last 10 to 20 years.

Most recently, the turk visited Drexel and Morris Brown soon after last season was over. Those two programs have been added to a long list of schools who decided cuts were necessary in their athletic budgets, or more specifically, found that to meet Title Nine standards, elimination of baseball was an easy way to balance things out. Most are gone for good. On rare occasions, some programs are resurrected. Like what has happened at Buffalo and at UC Irvine.

But what if the fairy Godmother of baseball reached down with her magic wand and granted the wish of baseball fans by resurrecting the sport at certain schools? Which programs would we like to see more than any? Which resuscitations would seem to make the most sense?

Here are a baker’s half dozen of schools that not only should bring back baseball, but could be lumped into the “no-brainer” category.

1- Oregon

The Pac 10 reunited their north and south divisions back in 1997, and that has been a boon to the three northwest schools, Washington in particular. But Oregon, having dropped baseball in 1981, would seem like a logical addition. Let’s face it, nobody gets more corporate money than this athletic department from famous alum Phil Knight and his Nike empire (Did you SEE the picture of the football locker room in Sports Illustrated? Good God that’s posh!). Surely he can slip a few million into baseball too. And considering what we’ve seen from football, can you imagine how imaginative the baseball uniforms would look? On the practical side Oregon State needs a travel partner anyway.

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2- Tulsa

Let’s face it, Tulsa is located in one of the hotbeds of college baseball. It dropped the sport in 1980, just before Oklahoma State built up it’s winning patterns and before the emergence of nearby Arkansas, Southwest Missouri State and Oral Roberts. So interest in college baseball is at an all-time high in the area. But it’s not like the Golden Hurricane don’t already have some tradition in the sport. They participated in the College World Series in 1969 and 1971 and even have a CWS MVP in former first baseman Jerry Tabb. With Rice soon to be bolting from the WAC, any added members would certainly be welcomed.

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3- Providence

It was a little surprising that the Friars Athletic Department dropped the sport in 1999, for two reasons. One, there is no football program siphoning most of the athletic budget and posing a gender equity problem. And two, Providence had six straight winning seasons prior to having the plug pulled. Plus the way the Friars closed out the ’99 season in nearly fairy tale fashion, showed that the team was competitive. The Friars entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 4 seed in the Tallahassee Regional after winning the Big East. And after eliminating The Citadel and Jacksonville, they finally succumbed in the championship round to the host Seminoles. But only after getting a standing ovation from the FSU faithful and victory lap around the field. C’mon guys, that only leaves us all wanting to see what this program was going to do next.

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4- UTEP

Talk about good geography, good climate and good recruiting base, the Miners have it all. But administrators dropped the program back in 1985 and there are no signs of returning. Like Tulsa, a return to the diamond would help solve the WAC’s problem of finding teams to participate in conference play. It would also help alleviate some of the non-conference scheduling problems that teams like Texas Tech and New Mexico State have on a yearly basis. And you know there are some good little league and high school baseball teams out El Paso way. How am I so sure of that? Because wasn’t that a band of El Paso youngsters that drummed the Bad News Bears so badly in the “Breaking Training” movie as they were traveling toward the Astrodome?

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5- Colorado

When CU dropped baseball in 1980, the athletic department was a complete mess with the perennially losing football team being one of the main problems. Since then the football team has won a national title and a number of conference titles and is a consistent money maker that has turned the athletic budget around. Colorado State and Wyoming dropped baseball in the 90s, leaving the front range of the Rockies with only two remaining D1 baseball program, at Northern Colorado and Air Force. So a return would be helpful to the region. There has been some rumblings of reviving the program, but nothing in cement as of yet. But it would make sense for another reason – could you imagine how nice of a baseball stadium they could build with the Flat Irons as a backdrop?

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6- SMU

With the amount of high school talent that abounds in the Dallas area, it’s amazing to think that there is no Division I baseball program in a city of its size. Houston, Boston, Chicago and Atlanta have two or three at least. With nearby Texas-Arlington and TCU, the Mustangs would have good natural geographic rivals. And Dallas would be a natural stop for northern teams wanting to come down and play some pre-conference games in February and March. Whether it’s arena football or minor league baseball, its noteworthy that people in the north Texas area will support a winner. So you can come back SMU. Just make sure you win.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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THREE BIG THINGS WE LEARNED.

1- First off, I figured out that I can write a hell of a lot more garb every day when I DON’T go to a game.

2- The Bedlam Series is still the best rivalry in college baseball.

3- Some Top Five big dogs suddenly looked very conquerable after all. Preview to the Big Dance?

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TEAM OF THE WEEKEND: 

- KANSAS STATE. 

Lots of ground made up here this weekend for the Wildcats. First and foremost, they shed Oklahoma and West Virginia as their 1st-place mates and moved into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 by two full games with an impressive road sweep at rival Kansas. Then they also continued their steady ascent up the RPI to No. 22. KSU was impressive in doing so as well as Friday’s game was the only close call where they won 4-3 and KU had the tying run on first base when the game ended. Now, the Cats will take on Oklahoma at home to finish up the regular season.

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OFF-THE-RADAR TEAM OF THE WEEKEND:

- WESTERN CAROLINA.

Well, to be fair, a series sweep of last place Wofford is nothing to crow about, but if you big-picture this thing, it was a huge weekend for the Catamounts. With three straight wins they clinched the Southern Conference regular season title for the 12th time and also kept their hot streak going, having won 19 of its last 21 games and nine straight. WCU also now finds its way back into the national rankings for the first time since 2003, now sitting at No. 29 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Top 30.

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NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME PLAYERS: 

- OHIO STATE. 

The Buckeyes did what they needed to earlier in the week by getting a two-game split with then-No. 30 Georgia Tech, but then this weekend they saw their bad luck catch up with them as No. 6 Oregon came to C-bus and won all three games. Granted, they were all in nip-and-tuck fashion, so it wasn’t like the Bucks got blown out of the tub by a superior opponent, but boy howdy, they sure could’ve used some style points with at least one win here. OSU saw their RPI plummet down to No. 57.

But redemption could come very soon as OSU will now play No. 10 Louisville and No. 15 Indiana this coming week. But again, they must get a few Ws out of these matchups.

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WISH I HAD A TICKET TO: 

- Easy, BEDLAM.

Let me re-phrase that: BEDLAM! (And I don’t use exclamation points often.). This was a rumpus room weekend of bloody noses and broken hearts. All three games ended in a one-run panic. Egos were busted. Fingernails were lost. Calls were blown. And coaches were ejected.

OklaState took the first two games by identical 4-3 scores before the Big Red won in a white-knuckler on Sunday, with the help of a huge throwout at the plate in the 8th inning, which led to Josh Holiday getting the heave-ho for arguing the call. But it was an impossible bang-bang play so it’s hard to fault him for arguing, but also hard to say that home plate ump David Wiley got the call wrong.

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HEATING UP: 

- PITTSBURGH

The Panthers have won seven straight and 20-of-23 since early April. But get this… Pitt dropped 19 spots in the RPI (to No. 65) over the weekend after taking three games from Villanova and moving into first place in the Big East. at 18-3. Some reward, huh? Eh, such is life in a Northern town.

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COOLING DOWN:

- THE RAILSPLITTERS. 

Dammit! When I saw Central Arkansas during my trip to the Natural State a few weeks ago, the Railsplitters were 25-8 overall and 5-5 in Southland play. Since then, they’ve gone just 8-8 and have seen the RPI avalanche from No. 40 down to No. 75. Crap! Am I a bad omen? Is it MY fault? Either way, this past weekend UCA went 1-2 vs. Stephen F. Austin, their second series loss in Southland Conference play in a row.

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BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW…

- if the season ended today, Campbell would be a No. 2 seed in a Regional – or so you’d figure. They are currently 43-9 overall and at No. 28 in the RPI. Can you say “No. 2 seed in Chapel Hill”?

Well, before we give them an at-large slot, let’s see how far the Camels plummet when they play 7-40 New Orleans this weekend in a non-conference series that will kill their RPI. So even though there’s a chance you DID know they’d be a 2-seed right now, what you may not know is that they are far from out of the woods.

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THE UPS AND DOWNS

Who had a good weekend and a bad weekend according to that evil RPI

- BIGGEST WINNER: Nebraska, No. 32

The Cornhuskers were rewarded handsomely for taking two of three on the road from fellow 2nd-placer Minnestoa, going from No. 49 in the RPI up to No. 32. Now… if they could finally get over the Mendoza Line in their won-loss record which is currently 23-26.

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- BIGGEST LOSER: Alabama, No. 43

The beach hit low-Tide after Bama plummets 13 spots from No. 30 after they took two of three from SEC-East bottom-feeder Missouri. I still have my doubts about the Tide, I mean they are certainly built for the future with their youthful talent, but this year isn’t their year.

UP:

- Auburn, No. 28

Taking two of three from Florida has put the last place team in the SEC West from No.40 into at-large territory.

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- Creighton, No. 45

Winning two of three at Missouri Valley-leading Wichita State has vaulted the Bluejays from No. 60 in the RPI into the at-large conversation.

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- Seton Hall, No. 34

Coming into the weekend at No. 43, this is the Pirates reward for sweeping former Big East-leading South Florida in three straight.

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- Oklahoma State, No. 35

With the Bedlam Series win over OU, the Pokes jump 10 spots from a fringy No. 45 to a good No. 35. Obviously, I think they’re a cusp-of-Top-10 team though.

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DOWN:

- Ohio State, No. 57

Buckeyes prove that you can play a good schedule, but you still have to win a game or two vs. an Oregon-type team. OSU came in at the fringe at No. 45.

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- Michigan State, No. 41.

The Spartans are still in the discussion for an at-large but a 12-spot fall in the RPI, coupled with their being out of the Big 10 tournament (if the season ended today) won’t curry favor.

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- Notre Dame, No. 42.

I thought the Irish would be safe at No. 31 – where they were on Friday morning – but this 11-slot drop AND a losing record in Big East play won’t be helpful.

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- Kansas, No. 52.

It’s a bad week for the Northern schools here as KU lost all three to Kansas State and dropped 10 spots.

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MY S.I.D. OF THE WEEK:

- Russ Anderson, Conference USA

To say this dude is just the baseball media director for CUSA is like saying Michaelangelo’s “David” is just a hunk of marble. Russ is also the go-to guy for all of the National College Baseball Writers Association activities, like putting out the weekly writer’s poll, gathering info for the All American teams, compiling the weekly D2 and D3 rankings and also putting together the national players of the week. Russ also heads up the voting and compilation for the Stopper of the Year Award. Rumor has it Russ uses three arms to do all his numerous tasks.

It’s not hyperbole to say that Russ might just be the hardest working man in college baseball. Kudos to Mr. Anderson.

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FREAK OF THE WEEK: 

- The people trying to sell you those car cleaner kits at gas stations.

Do you guys have these people where you live? They come up to you while you’re pumping gas at the gas station and try to sell you this magical car cleaner crap. Yes, this happens at just about every gas station in L.A. and it bugs the piss out of me. You’re never more vulnerable than when you’re putting gas in your car. You’re stuck at your car with nowhere to go and these vultures know you’ve got money on you. And yes, Bill Gessler, just like the bums on the New York subways, the problem isn’t poverty-stricken people, this is another perfect example of how I just don’t want to be futz’d with in this world. You just want to be left alone. Simple as that.

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POWER RANKINGS: 

The no-quarter given rankings of who is playing the best baseball right now.

1- VANDERBILT, 45-6

Of Note: Impressive sweep of Kentucky was so complete that the Commodores never had to rely on ace closer Bryan Miller. And for what it’s worth, UK assistant Brian Green said “Vanderbilt’s lineup is much better than LSU’s.”

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2- OREGON STATE, 41-8

Of Note: I know Stanford is not their usual selves, but still, a sweep of the Cardinal? That deserves a ‘Holy Crap’ in my book either way. Ready for Civil War? This’ll be fun.

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3- NORTH CAROLINA, 45-6

Of Note: Question… Should I drop UNC more? Does losing two games to Georgia Tech merit a bigger drop? Well look, everybody has a stinker weekend, so let’s put the Heels down at No. 3, give ‘em a slap on the wrist and say “Don’t do that again.”

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4- CAL STATE FULLERTON, 41-8

Of Note: I keep waiting for the Titan youth to rear its ugly head, but they keep winning and haven’t had a real crap weekend yet. But beware of UCI coming to town next though.

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5- LSU, 45-7

Of Note: Was it just me, or did the Tigers look a little vulnerable this weekend? I know A&M is as tough a place to play in the country, but LSU looked more human than anytime this season. Even Aaron Nola gave up a few hits and runs in the 7-4 win. Hmmm.

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6- OREGON, 40-11

Of Note: Like their rival Beavers, I’ll give the Ducks huge props for flying to the Eastern time zone and taking all three games at Ohio State. Great trip, better results. Jimmie Sherfy now has 18 saves too. Nice.

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7- UCLA, 34-14

Of Note: This was as complete of a weekend as the Boys of Westwood have played all season. The Bruins made ruins of Arizona, routing UofA by a combined 29-8 in three games. Reliever David Berg also increased his scoreless streak to 30 innings. Yowza!

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8- LOUISVILLE, 42-10

Of Note: Pitch. Pitch. Pitch. That’s all these guys do. In three-game sweep at UConn, the Cards relent only 13 hits all weekend, out-scoring the Huskies 17-1 along the way. Coach Dan McDonnell also collected his 300th win on Sunday.

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9- OKLAHOMA STATE, 36-13

Of Note: Yeah, their RPI is crappy (35th) comparatively speaking, but I continue to be impressed with Okie State’s pitching staff, whose ERA has dropped to 2.79 (2nd in the Big 12). It’s also the main reason these guys have gone 12-3 since Tax Day.

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10- VIRGINIA, 42-8

Of Note: The only close encounter was their 6-5 win vs. Duke on Friday where the Cavs weathered a 56 minute rain delay in the 9th inning, before scoring three runs in the final frame for the jog-off win.

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11- ARIZONA STATE, 32-15-1

Of Note: Thinks looked pretty bleak for ASU, having lost game one at Cal and trailing game two 9-6 with six outs left. But home runs by Kasey Coffman and James McDonald turned that game around, then a 9th inning grand slam by Nate Causey on Sunday gave ASU a scintillating 2-to-1 series win.

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12- FLORIDA STATE, 42-10

Of Note: Huge series win ON THE ROAD for the ‘Noles. After going 5-7 in ACC road games this year – and raising my ire – I’ll relent that this was a big-balls weekend win for FSU. Strong work.

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13- NORTH CAROLINA STATE, 39-13

Of Note: I had actually voted the Wolf Pack at No. 8 in my NCBWA ballot that I sent in on Monday morning, but after losing the third game to FSU tonight, I had to make some changes reflected here.

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14- SOUTH CAROLINA, 37-14

Of Note: Solid sweep of Georgia, where the Cocks seemed to get that timely hit they’d been missing. Joey Pankake and Grayson Greiner are heating up – combining to go 12-for-20 this weekend – and that’s going to be a huge factor moving forward.

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15- INDIANA, 38-11

Of Note: Man, the only game I saw the Hoosiers play this weekend was that 12-1 clunker loss to Northwestern. I mean, they looked like CRAAAAP. A week with two wins and a nail-biter vs. Louisville can’t make up for it.

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16- PITTSBURGH, 40-11

Of Note: Panthers sweep Villanova, stay in 1st place in the Big East. The Saturday-Sunday combo of Matt Wotherspoon and Rhys Aldenhoven combined for 14.0 innings of work, giving up nine hits with 16 Ks as they improve to 9-1 and 8-0 respectively.

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17- KANSAS STATE, 37-15

Of Note: The Cats have tied the school record for the second-most wins in program history with 37 and tied the 2009 team’s school record for conference wins at 14. Give Coach Hill and Co. their due, playing their best ball now.

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18- NEW MEXICO, 32-18

Of Note: Josh Walker’s complete-game, three-hitter got the Lobos off on the right foot in the series win at Fresno State. Sunday’s 9-8 loss came with the bases loaded of Lobos and became their fifth one-run loss of the season.

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19- GEORGIA TECH, 32-20

Of Note: Yep, I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Tech beat No. 1 North Carolina twice in jog-off fashion. Right? Tech also split a pair of games at Ohio State this week to jump their RPI to No. 18.

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20- SETON HALL, 33-16

Of Note: If you think you’ve accidentally just seen three Big East teams in here, go ahead and pinch yourself. But don’t fool yourself, these Pirates are legit. SHU has gone 25-4 since early March and has won 12 straight, including this weekend’s sweep of former Big East leader USF..

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Five on the Edge:

South Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, UC Irvine, Arkansas

The aerial view of Columbia’s odd-shaped field, courtesy of the Hudson River.

As you guys might recall, my highlight of the weekend was seeing the first NCAA tournament spot officially get grabbed by Columbia University as the Lions took down Dartmouth in two straight games on Saturday in New York City.

But Satow Stadium remains one of the oddest stadiums I’d ever seen.

As you recall from the pictures, the left field line is buttressed right up against the track that rings around the Robert Kraft Football Stadium field. In fact, the visitors dugout is essentially stuffed underneath the track itself and there are parts of the Satow Stadium grandstand where you couldn’t see any part of the left field corner because of the bend of the track.

But as you can see from the aerial photo above – no, I didn’t take it myself – the other interesting aspect of Robertson Field is the oddly-situated center field fence. Since the Hudson River is just beyond the fence, forcing the wall to square off and is, in essence, the shortest part of the outfield wall. That’s why there was that odd rule where hitting the ball over the padded outfield wall is just a double and hitting the ball over the 20-foot chain link fence behind it is officially a home run.

Like that odd call on the ground rule double in the 10th inning of game one, the short fence is cause for one of the weirdest rulings I’ve seen in college baseball. And as I mentioned in my column, maybe that squared off center field is something the NCAA should consider doing to the new downtown stadium in Omaha since players and coaches are complaining how there are no home runs hit in that park.

Left field: 325

Right field: 325

Power alleys: 365

Center field: 320

There. Now the College World Series can officially be played there again.

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THREE BIG THINGS WE LEARNED.

1- Vanderbilt is still a remorseless killing machine. It doesn’t feel emotion. You can’t reason with it. It doesn’t feel pain.

2- Sidelined Oklahoma pitcher Dillon Overton may be the biggest injury this year.

3- Doesn’t matter how minor the conference is, seeing two teams playing for a chance at the NCAA Tournament is still just damn cool.

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TEAM OF THE WEEKEND: 

- WEST VIRGINIA

Yep, you read right. West Freakin’ Virginia. The Mountaineer program has been the long-dormant Mount Vesuvius. This weekend, it blew its top. Now, it’s not an Earthshaking, difference-making upset, but  beating Oklahoma two out of three does serve notice to the rest of the Big 12 that this isn’t WVU football here. No one is going to easily roll these guys with seven or eight touchdowns. Coach Randy Mazey now has the ‘Neers tied with OU and K-State atop the conference standings at 11-7 and now sit at No. 69 in the RPI. Kudos, guys. But tough weekends with TCU and Oklahoma State still remain, so don’t pat yourselves on the back too hard.

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OFF-THE-RADAR TEAM OF THE WEEKEND:

- VALPARAISO.

The Crusaders (23-23, 10-8) were completely off the radar as recent as two weeks ago – and I mean even more off the radar than they already are. But then, they won the Sunday game at Arizona State, 8-6. Then, this weekend, they hosted the Horizon League’s first place team in Wisconsin-Milwaukee and summarily sent them back to Beer-land with three straight bumps on the noggin. In the final two games, the Crusaders relied on some 8th-inning magic, getting five runs in the frame on Saturday to make for the 10-7 comeback win, and then scoring four runs in Sunday’s getaway game to pull out a 7-6 win. With the sweep VU is now within one game of the Panthers in the Horizon standings.

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NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME PLAYERS: 

- FLORIDA

I got to see the Gators play their best game this weekend, losing a close-knit 3-2 lidlifter with LSU on Thursday night. But after that, things went South in a hurry for the once-hot Blue and Orange. They got blanked by Aaron Nola on Friday, 5-0, then lost a bludgeon-fest on Saturday, 18-6. UofF got out to a 2-0 lead after an inning, but then LSU went on a blitzkrieg, blasting 19 hits off of seven Gator pitchers. Apparently things got so bad, a ruckus in the Gator dugout took place late in the game and Johnny Magliozzi and another player had to be restrained from going at each other hockey style. (Did this show up on the TV broadcast? I was at the Ivy League playoffs so I didn’t see it… the Dr. of College Baseball was at the game and told me he saw it).

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WISH I HAD A TICKET TO: 

- SOUTH FLORIDA at NOTRE DAME.

These two Big East contenders kicked things off Friday night with a 19-inning donnybrook that took five hours to complete. USF eventually plated six runs in their half of the 19th to win the game (ironically with the help of two ND defensive errors… even after all the gloss I’ve given their defense this season). EPIC. Then, as if the fans hadn’t sat through enough, they did the extra inning thing for a second straight day on Saturday. Once again, this was a Bull market as USF eked out a 4-3 win in 10 innings, where USF scored three runs in the top of the 11th, only to see ND push two runs across and then loaded the bases, but suffered a groundout to pitcher to end the game. Sunday was a tight game as well, until the Irish finally got so pissed they went bat-crazy, scoring sven runs after the singing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” to salvage a 10-1 win in game three. With the wins, USF stayed in 1st place in the Big East, though now they share that position with Pitt at 15-3.

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HEATING UP: 

- CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE.

Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone, but the Mats are back. On March 19th, the Matadors had just lost a 5-3 decision to Cal State Bakersfield to run their record down to 6-12. Coach Matt Curtis said at the time, “We’re not that far away. We are a couple of plays from winning several of these games.”

He spoke the truth. Since then, CSUN has gone 23-6 and is just a game out of 1st place in the Big West with a 14-4 mark. They have also gone 10-4 in one-or-two run games during that span. They’ve also won nine of their last 10 and seven in a row, with this weekend’s sweep of UCD Davis included. That seven game streak is the longest since the 2002 NCAA tournament team. On the bad side, their RPI is down at No. 86 right now, even though their ISR is at No. 41. So they’ll need to win a lot of games down the stretch to get into the Big Dance without winning the Big West title.

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COOLING DOWN:

- ELON and LAMAR

These two mid-majors were in the thick of their respective conference races until a cold skid snapped into place. Elon has gone 4-13 since early April, dropping their RPI down to No. 77 and are ow 16-10 and three games behind Western Carolina in the Southern Conference. Lamar was cruising along in similar territory a few weeks ago with an RPI in striking distance of at-large consideration. But this past weekend saw them lose all three games at home to Oral Roberts, dropping them to 12-9 and into a 5th place tie in the Southland. Also, their RPI Hindenburg’d from No. 51 down to No. 96. Yikes. Such is life as a mid-major where no quarter is given for bad weekends.

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THE UPS AND DOWNS.

The best and worst of the RPI after this weekend:

UP: 

- Clemson. No. 14

Tigers moved up three spots from No. 17 into No. 1 seed territory after playing – and losing – their home game with Maryland.

- Maryland, No. 21.

… and by virtue of that single win at CU, the Terps jump up nine spots from No. 30. Really? What the bloody hell?

- Michigan State, No. 29

Sparty won a huge series from then-No. 35 Illinois, boosting them into the top 30 from the previous perch at No. 38.

- Coastal Carolina, No. 33

A 13 point jump from No. 46 is what the Chants get for winning a weekend series from then-No. 22 Georgia Tech.

- Arkansas, No. 38

The Hogs continue that steady rise from the upper-60s a few weeks ago, having taken down No. 30 Kentucky this weekend.

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DOWN: 

- Notre Dame, No. 34. 

The Irish started the weekend at No. 24, but crash 10 spots thanks to a pair of extra inning losses to USF and a win on Sunday.

- Lamar, No. 95 

As mentioned above, YIKES! That’s a 44-place dump in the rankings for losing three to ORU.

- North Florida, No. 55

Another mid-major disaster. The Ospreys began the weekend at a promising No. 42 until Stetson beat them two of three. Ouch.

-  Ohio State, No. 51.

Sometimes scheduling a late-season series vs. a mid-major is an anchor waiting to happen. The Buckeyes won all three games vs. Southern Illinois, yet dropped out of at-large consideration from No. 41 to 51.

- The Citadel, No. 78

Two crushing defeats to Davidson made the Dogs bite down 24 spots, all the way from No. 54. I’m not sure if they’ll recover from that.

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BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW… 

- that Notre Dame is one of the rare cases I can remember where a Northern team’s RPI ranking is waaaaay better than their ISR ranking. Currently, the 28-19 Irish sit at No. 35 in the RPI – which is pretty solid for a Big East team – but are down at No. 66 in the mid-major friendly ISR. (Then again, watch that whip-smart Boyd Nation come back and tell me I’m full of crap and “oddities” like this happen all the time.)

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COACH WHO DESERVES A RAISE:

- NINO GIARRATANO, SAN FRANCISCO

This guy just doesn’t get enough pub. He really doesn’t. While teams like San Diego and Pepperdine seem to get a lot of run here – and usually well-deserved – its the Dons who have pulled off consecutive winning weekends over the Toreros and Waves. With the sweep of Pepperdine this weekend, USF is now 29-19 overall and 14-7 and in 2nd place in the West Coast Conference. They are the best pitching-and-defense combination in the loop with a team ERA of 3.26 and fielding percentage of .971. Just as further proof of how this team doesn’t beat itself, they also have issued the fewest walks in the WCC, 123. That’s typical of Nino’s teams. Not only that, but this dude deserves a raise for having cramped conditions in The City and dealing with some relatively old facilities.

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MY S.I.D. OF THE WEEK:

- KEVIN ROSS, WAGNER.

Who else could persuade me to travel 2,500 miles to come to Staten Island to see a Northeast Conference game that has no bearing on the regular season title or the RPI? Well, that’s Kev for ya’. But actually, Ross and I have been in contact for years and he’s always been a good source of information for not only the Seahawks but also NEC baseball in general. He had told me for years to make it to R.C.B. Ballpark and get one of the best views in all of college baseball. Guess what? He was abso-fuggin-luetly right! (… and I don’t use exclamation points often). So thanks for that tip K-Ross.

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FREAK OF THE WEEK: 

- BUMS ON THE SUBWAYS.

Just like those college football and basketball players who come from difficult socio-economic backgrounds, yet their bodies are covered with tattoos… how can they afford those expensive ink masterpieces? At the same token, how do so many bums and homeless people get onto subway trains in New York City? Tickets aren’t TOO expensive, but I bet they don’t have the money each and every day to spend to get down there, do they? And another thing, quit freaking people out who are simply trying to ignore you on their way to work.

(Sorry, didn’t mean to be so harsh on the needy there, but I see a problem with these people)

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THE POWER RANKINGS: 

You know the rules… this is a No B.S. ranking. So read accordingly.

1- VANDERBILT (41-6)

Of Note: Two up, two down at South Carolina. No muss, no fuss. The steely Commodores just stare straight ahead with no emotions, beating the hell out of anybody who stands in their way.

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2- NORTH CAROLINA (42-4)

Of Note: Just a single win over The Citadel this week. Other than that, this is just a lock and reload week for the Heels.

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3- CAL STATE FULLERTON (39-7)

Of Note: This week is always a happy one for Titan fans, it’s the one where they get to gloat over beating their rivals Long Beach State… again.

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4- OREGON STATE (37-8)

Of Note: One Bay Area school down (they beat Cal in three straight), another Bay Area school to go (Beavers play at Stanford this weekend). Beavs gave up five hits in first 18 innings of Cal series.

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5- LSU (43-6)

Of Note: Tigers get a test, then a shutout, then a blowout in weekend sweep of Florida. Biggest news was resurgence of No. 3 starter Cody Glenn. That could be huge.

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6- OREGON (37-11)

Of Note: I defy any of you out there to go out to the Palouse and sweep three games from Washington State. That’s what the Ducks did this weekend. Not dominant, but efficient.

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7- UCLA (31-13)

Of Note: A pair of white-knuckle wins  over Utah shows the Bruins offense may still not be quite there. David Berg gets a win and two saves in his 3.2 innings of work this weekend.

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8- NORTH CAROLINA STATE (37-11)

Of Note: Three breezy wins over Presbyterian to clean the palate. Now back to the ACC grind with someone named “Florida State” coming to Pack land this weekend. Howl!

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9- LOUISVILLE (37-10)

Of Note: Lucky 7, the ‘Ville has now won seven straight. But this is a big week ahead with a game vs. Indiana and a trip to always pesky UConn coming up.

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10- INDIANA (36-9) 

Of Note: That series win at Nebraska, capped by today’s 10-2 rout, was just what the Hoosiers needed, keeping them in 1st place in the Big 10, by a half-game over Minnesota.

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11- OKLAHOMA STATE (34-12)

Of Note: A decent weekend win at Texas Tech, though I admit this might be one of those cases where a team makes a big jump mostly because everyone else above lost. But I still like the Pokes.

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12- VIRGINIA (39-8)

Of Note: After an exams break, the Wahoos have just three gamers with Duke and North Carolina remaining. With an RPI of No. 3, is it safe to say they’re a National Seed?

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13- ARIZONA STATE (30-14-1)

Of Note: Are the Devils victims of a suddenly hot Stanford team, or showing signs of a young team running out of steam in this long season? Debate amongst yourselves.

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14- FLORIDA STATE (38-9)

Of Note: A three-game sweep of Central Florida was a small step toward getting these guys back into my good graces. Still keeping a single raised eyebrow on them though.

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15- SOUTH CAROLINA (33-14)

Of Note: You have to wonder if the third game in the Vanderbilt series getting cancelled worked out in SoCar’s favor. I mean, this is the remorseless, no-sympathy Commodores we’re talking about.

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16- RICE (31-15)

Of Note: Creeping back toward the top in CUSA, now a game-and-a-half behind USM. But oddly, the Owls have now lost three straight Friday openers. Hmmmm.

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17- PITTSBURGH (36-11)

Of Note: Panthers sit in a pretty good spot right now, tied with USF at 15-3 in Big East play. Plus, all the biggies will face each other this weekend while Pitt hosts last play Villanova.

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18- NEW MEXICO (30-17)

Of Note: The howl of Los Lobos! The bats went berserk, scoring 42 runs in three games vs. hapless Air Force. But they’ll hit the road for the remainder of the season, at Fresno, at San Diego State and at MWC tournament.

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19- OKLAHOMA (34-14)

Of Note: With an RPI of No. 45 and beaten soundly twice at West Virginia, are the Sooners actually in danger of missing the Big Dance? (The one upside; they are still tops in Big 12, tied with KSU and WVU).

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20- MISSISSIPPI STATE (36-13) 

Of Note: Two narrow escapes vs. Alabama makes me nervous for bringing the Dogs back into the Top 20, but wins are wins. Besides, if they’re worth their salt, weekends with Ole Miss and South Carolina will affirm it either way.

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Five on the Edge:

Clemson, Cal Poly, Mercer, South Alabama, South Florida

I’m off to the Big Apple this weekend. Gonna go see who gets the first tux fitting for the Big Dance. And while I’m there, I hope to see some of the famous punk venues on the Lower East Side, home to places like CBGB’s, Cafe Wha? and the Bowery Ballroom. It’s Dartmouth and Columbia for the Ivy League title. A best-of-three that will take place a few stops up the A-line from where I’ll be staying in a friend of mine’s apartment in SoHo.

Can’t wait.

But before I get to New Amsterdam, I’m hoping to take in tonight’s Florida-LSU series opener in Baton Rouge – weather permitting. As I’m writing this, I’m in the Baton Rouge Airport and the sky is battleship gray, with a 60% chance of rain. And you know how Tom Petty sang about Louisiana Rain… it’s soaks through your shoes.

We’ll see if it holds off.

So because my schedule is a bit of a whirling dervish this weekend, I’ll have a different schedule of postings too. This weekend preview will be a bit on the abbreviated side. And then I probably won’t post a Friday night column. I mean, c’mon, if you were going to New York City to hang with friends and watch the streetlights burn, you’d wanna skip a night of college baseball too, right? So bear with me.

Anyway, let’s get this shortened preview started. I’ll check back with you guys sporadically throughout the weekend.

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THE TOP 10 PLACES TO BE THIS WEEKEND. 

Okay Stitch-Heads, get your AAA agent to set your course for these locales this weekend. You won’t be sorry.

10- WICHITA STATE at MISSOURI STATE

By The Numbers

Wheatshockers:

- Record 26-21, 11-4 MVC

- RPI: No.  160

- Offense: .284

- Pitching: 3.56 ERA, MVC-best 331Ks

- Defense: .975

Bears: 

- Record: 27-13, 11-4 MVC

- RPI: No. 77

- Offense: .271

- Pitching: 2.96 ERA, MVC-low 114BBs

- Defense: .973

These two teams are tied atop the MoValley standings, so the winner here has the inside track at the regular season title. But this series certainly has bigger implications for MSU. WSU’s at-large hopes are shot, but the Bears are sitting way down at No. 77 in the RPI, so they need as many bonus points and intangibles as they can get. After all, if they can go on and win the MVC regular season title, it’ll have to hold some amount of cache with the selection committee.

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9- COASTAL CAROLINA at No. 23 GEORGIA TECH

By The Numbers

Chanticleers:

- Record: 27-17, 13-5 Big South

- RPI: No.  46

- Offense: .268

- Pitching: 3.04 ERA

- Defense: .963

Yellow Jackets: 

- Record: 28-16, 12-12 ACC

- RPI: No. 21

- Offense: .313

- Pitching: 4.34 ERA

- Defense: .972

So it looks like there IS an up-side for the ACC’s over-ranking in the RPI, ‘coz if the Chanticleers can win a couple games here, it could go a long way in allowing them to hijack an at-large bid. CCU has had a hit-and-miss season (starting 4-8 and losing three of their last eight games. But coach Gary Gilmore and Co. can raise their profile here against a Tech team that has been on a major slump of their own the last few weeks, going just 7-11 since April Fool’s Day. Tech will lose a lot of legitimacy points if that continues.

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8- LONG BEACH STATE at No. 5 CAL STATE FULLERTON

By The Numbers

Dirtbags:

- Record: 21-21, 9-8 Big West

- RPI: No. 98

- Offense: .266

- Pitching: 3.74 ERA

- Defense: .966

Titans: 

- Record: 36-7, 12-3 Big West

- RPI: No. 10

- Offense: .286

- Pitching: 2.47 ERA

- Defense: .976

Last year, this series decided the Big West title, and ultimately it also saw the Titans prevent the Beach from making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. This heated rivalry has really lost its luster, sad to say. I miss this donnybrook meaning something on the national stage. But keep an eye on the Dirtbags, because they still have a chance to climb into the Big West race with a series win here. A full 15 of the Beach’s 21 wins have come against right-handed starters and Titan Friday starter Thomas Eshelman (7-2, 1.41) had his worst outing of the season at Hawaii last weekend. File that away, just in case something freaky happens on Friday night. I also like that ESPNU will televise the Saturday game. The Titans swept the Beach a few weeks back in a non-conference weekend. Something tells me this one will be closer.

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7- No. 27 STANFORD at No. 14 ARIZONA STATE

By The Numbers

Cardinal:

- Record: 24-15, 9-9 Pac 12

- RPI: No.  98

- Offense: .274

- Pitching: 3.09 ERA

- Defense: .969

Sun Devils: 

- Record: 29-12-1, 11-7 Pac 12

- RPI: No. 14

- Offense: .299, Pac 12-best 29HRs

- Pitching: 3.75 ERA

- Defense: .962

As my partner Mike Rooney pointed out on our High & Inside Baldcast from Wednesday night, the Friday matchup with Mark Appel (7-3, 1.49, 93Ks) and Trevor Williams (5-3, 3.30) could be the best matchup of 1st round MLB draft picks all season. You can see Roons do the color commentary on that game on ESPNU. Elsewhere, the bugaboo for SU is the pitching the rest of the weekend, just not sure it can measure up. Even with ASU not having a knock-the-cover-off-the-ball offense, they should still have enough to take down the Cardinal. And by the way, that RPI is no typo; No. 98. It’s do or die time for the Trees.

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6- No. 13 OKLAHOMA at WEST VIRGINIA

By The Numbers

Mountaineers:

- Record: 27-19, 9-6 Big 12

- RPI: No.  79

- Offense: .279

- Pitching: 3.70

- Defense: .963, worst in Big 12

Sooners: 

- Record: 33-12, 10-5 Big 12

- RPI: No. 40

- Offense: .298

- Pitching: 2.84 ERA

- Defense: .970

Very quietly, new head coach Randy Mazey has built a winner of a team in Morgantown… even though they have played only seven games on their own home field. Keeping with that theme, this series will be played in Charleston. WV. But OU still has the comfort of having the best hitter in the conference, Matt Oberste (.427-10-48, all best in the Big 12) and the winningest pitcher (Jonathan Gray, 8-1, 1.10), so even though they may not have Dillon Overton hurling bee-bees, they’ll still have the talent and experience in their favor here. Still, it’s pretty remarkable what the ‘Neers have been able to do, going 10-3 since April 10th. Could be an interesting weekend either way.

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5- FLORIDA at No. 4 LSU

By The Numbers

Gators:

- Record: 25-20, 12-9 SEC

- RPI: No.  19

- Offense: .271

- Pitching: 3.68 ERA

- Defense: .974

Tigers: 

- Record: 40-6, 16-5 SEC

- RPI: No. 4

- Offense: .307

- Pitching: 2.39 ERA

- Defense: .981

Keep a keen eye – or even a jaundiced eye – on the Tigers here. Something seems to be happening to the pitching staff after Aaron Nola leaves the mound. In fact, since this is a Thursday-Saturday series, coach Paul Maineiri has decided to start Cody Glenn for game one. He’s been a elevator man lately – good highs, poor lows – and he’ll face off against Jonathan Crawford here, who hasn’t posted wicked-good numbers this year (3-5, 4.06) but held LSU totally in check in his start vs. the Tigers last year in Gainesville, a game yours truly was in attendance for. Is Florida for real? Are they all the way back, ala Vandy of 2012? This is where the proof starts to get piled up.

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4- No. 17 INDIANA at NEBRASKA

By The Numbers

Hoosiers:

- Record: 34-8, 11-4 Big 10

- RPI: No.  13

- Offense: .315, best in Big 10

- Pitching: 2.34 ERA, best in Big 10

- Defense: .966

Cornhuskers: 

- Record: 20-23, 11-4 Big 10

- RPI: No. 51

- Offense: .284

- Pitching: 4.69 ERA

- Defense: .982, best in Big 10

Seems strange, but these two come from completely different lots in life, but are still the co-leaders of the Big 10 (although Minnesota has the best winning percentage at 9-3). But I really believe this could be the last ditch effort for NU. Indiana’s fate has been sealed – as far as at least making it to the Big Dance, though they’re still hoping for a home Regional and National Seed – but if the struggling Huskers don’t pull out a series win here, I’m afraid of where their psyche will be from here on out. Plus, as you might’ve noticed, the Cornhuskers’ RPI has dropped 20+ spots since that doubleheader sweep of Arkansas. It’s now or never for the Big Red. From what I saw last weekend in Omaha, I’m just not sure they’re quite there yet.

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3- SOUTH FLORIDA at No. 29 NOTRE DAME

By The Numbers

Bulls:

- Record: 29-15, 13-2 Big East

- RPI: No.  73

- Offense: .282

- Pitching: 3.81 ERA

- Defense: .965

Fighting Irish: 

- Record: 27-16, 7-8 Big East.

- RPI: No. 30

- Offense: .276

- Pitching: 3.68 ERA

- Defense: .972

Okay USF, here’s the weekend everyone’s been pointing toward for you guys ever since you got on this big-ass Big East hot streak. In their last four weekends they’ve swept Pitt, Alcorn State, UConn and St. John’s. Three of those four came at home. This will be a totally different animal. The Irish have one of the better defenses I’ve seen this season and have seemed to put that sweep at Pitt three weeks ago behind them. USF could use the RPI boost here and of course, the hutzpah to prove people wrong with a series win in South Bend. But watch out for Golden Domer sluggers Eric Jagielo and Trey Mancini, as they now lead the Big East in hitting at .387 and .384 respectively, which has made a huge difference in their offense.

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2- No. 1 VANDERBILT at No. 9 SOUTH CAROLINA

By The Numbers

Commodores:

- Record: 39-6, 19-2 SEC

- RPI: No.  2

- Offense: .314, Best in SEC

- Pitching: 2.58 ERA

- Defense: .978

Gamecocks: 

- Record: 33-12, 13-8 SEC

- RPI: No. 9

- Offense: .286

- Pitching: 3.05 ERA

- Defense: .973

This is another one of those Tell Tale Heart series in the SEC. South Carolina is doing just like it did last year, heating up for a big stretch run (Could we be looking at trip No. 4 in a row to the CWS Finals? Hmmmm). They’ve swept Kentucky and won a series at LSU in the last two weeks – virtually holding up a sign saying “Look at us. We’re back.” And they’ve got a point. Relievers Adam Westmoreland and Tyler Webb were on absolute lock-down mode in TigerTown last weekend, tossing four combined innings of scoreless baseball in the two wins and accounting for a Win and two saves. But Vanderbilt could give a damn. They are like the Terminator. They feel no pressure, no sympathy and no remorse. They just keep beating the hell out of people and dare you to care. Let’s see where these two are going now. A possible National Seed is on the line for SoCar. You’ve got the spotlight guys. Go get ‘em.

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1- THE IVY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

Dartmouth at Columbia, Satow Stadium.

By The Numbers

Big Green:

- Record: 32-7, 15-5 Ivy League

- RPI: No.  126

- Offense: .306

- Pitching: 2.46 ERA

- Defense: .982

Lions: 

- Record: 24-19, 16-4 Ivy League

- RPI: No. 128

- Offense: .261

- Pitching: 3.49 ERA

- Defense: .969

Oh I love this stuff. This is the kind of college baseball I really love. Sure, there are 10,000 fans at some games that make for high stakes and a big atmosphere. But these are the studious sorts who probably aren’t going on to pro ball, who have exams that are more important that this weekend and who have no chance of making the NCAA tournament other than winning this best-of-three playoff. The Big Green was high up in the RPI early this season, but the rest of the Ivy League dragged that number down like an 800-pound gorilla. Still, Dartmouth was the best hitting, best pitching and best defensive team in the league this year. But CU provides a great contrast, stealing three times more bases (74-for-86 on the year), leading the Ancient Eight in strikeouts (304) and having the leading home run hitter in Alex Black. Of course, you’d think the big thing would be the Lions holding home field advantage. But the last two times these two played in the Ivy League Playoffs, the road team won. Does that mean I’m calling this Dartmouth’s series to lose? Yep.

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OFF THE RADAR: 

- Tennessee Tech at Western Carolina

Records:

TTU: 33-12, 19-5 Ohio Valley

WCU: 31-17, 18-6 in SoCon

In an odd twist, the leaders of the Ohio Valley Conference and the Southern Conference hook up for a pair of games this weekend. But there’s much more at stake for the Catamounts as they hold on to a No. 63 ranking in the RPI, while TTech is down at No. 123. With their RPI within striking distance of at-large land, WCU can’t afford a slip-up (though if you ask me, no matter what they do they look likely to have to win their post-season tourney to get into the promised land). Still, this is a fun matchup with the leaders of the 12th-ranked conference (SoCon) and 20th-ranked conference (OVC) powwowing in Cullowhee this weekend. Keep an eye on the heavy-hitting ‘Mounts as Julian Ridings, Aaron Attaway and Tyler White have combined for 28 yard calls and 47 two-baggers this year.

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I STILL LOVE YOU NEW YORK. 

This has to rate up there with the most ironic and surreal music videos I’ve seen. This is Ryan Adams’ ode to the Big Apple called “New York, New York” and was filmed across from the the Twin Towers four days before September 11th of 2001 – as you’ll see noted at the beginning of the clip. It’s a good song with interesting footage, knowing what happened a few days later to that city. Oh, and the Hammond organ sounds like Benmont Tench of Tom Petty’s band is playing it. Here you go:

Hope you guys dig it. It’s one of the best Baldcasts in recorded history.

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A COUPLE THINGS I FORGOT TO POST.

Here’s a couple things I meant to post to my site from last weekend. I posted them on Twitter (What, you don’t follow me on Twitter? Gah!), but I’m posting them now.

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WHISKEY AT THE BIG TIDDY.

As I posted on Twitter last weekend, when the NCAA isn’t there, TD Ameritrade Park actually sells freakin’ WHISKEY! I ain’t kidding either. Here’s a picture of the booze they sell for seven bucks a shot:

Yes, you’re not seeing things. Canadian Club, Jim Beam and Jose Cuervo are for sale at the new downtown stadium during Creighton games.

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THE OLD ROSENBLATT

In case you were wondering, I stopped by the old Rosenblatt Stadium site while I was there in Omaha… it’s now mostly a parking lot with the skeleton of the old scoreboard and the fair poles still in place.

The new Rosenblatt display is in place and starting to be put together on the site of the old stadium.

Okay, imagine this being eight screens filled with college baseball images and replace the words “NFL Game Mix” with “College Baseball Bases Loaded” and replace all those 1990s college baseball scores with this decade’s 2-1 and 3-2 scores, and you get the idea for what ESPN plans to do this post-season.

You like being whipped?

I bet you do you naughty little gimp.

No. No. I’m kidding. That’s not the kind of whipping I’m talking about here. How about this instead: So during football season, do you like to go on the NFL Network and get the “whip-around” to all the big plays and exciting finishes before they happen? Then stay tuned Stitch-Heads ‘coz the Whip Around is coming to college baseball this coming post-season.

And who’s holding the bull whip, ready to give you welts on your back in the name of college baseball? Kyle Peterson.

See, it turns out that ESPN is going to try something new this year during the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament. Since this will be the first time that ESPN will be responsible for televising all 16 Regionals, they’ll have control of the telecasts and the highlights. But they also got the idea to put Kyle into the studio with an ESPN host (possibly Dari Nowkhah, it hasn’t been decided for sure yet) and let them “direct” the action and take you to whatever big game-deciding play is about to happen.

A bases-loaded situation at LSU? Go to it now.

A no-hitter at UCLA? Let’s go there live for the final out.

An extra-inning battle going on in Louisville? Let’s see how it ends.

That’s right Mr. Greasy Belly America, you can sit there on your 23-year old La-Z-Boy and let ESPN steer you to the best action all Regional weekend long. Not bad huh?

“It’ll be just like the Red Zone on NFL Network,” said KP when I talked to him today while awaiting my plane in the Omaha airport. “The idea is to get as much action from all the Regionals on the screen as possible.”

So since the Regional round of the Big Dance could mean as many as 112 games in a four day span, ESPN apparently felt the need to have their own version of the Goal Line channel for college football Saturdays during this upset-filled weekend of college baseball’s post-season. So look for ESPN’s “Bases Loaded” channel with a full studio set and Kyle helping to break down the action as they switch you from game to game, hitting the highlights before something big happens.

“It’s gonna be a pretty sweet deal,” Kyle said. “We’ll get you to all the big plays and big upsets. We’re going to do it out of the Charlotte studios but I don’t know if we’re going to do an actual highlights show or what. But it’s going to be fun to go from game to game.”

According to KP, the “Bases Loaded” studio gig will just go on during the Regionals round. He says he’ll get assigned to work a Super Regional as a color commentator somewhere the following week. But either way, after all their cuts they made in coverage on the website, it’s good to see the Mother Ship is stepping up again for college baseball’s post-season. That’s a really good sign.

If you want to read more about it, here’s the URL for an article written by USA Today’s Michael Hiestand:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2013/04/28/espn-college-world-series-complete-tournament-coverage/2119593/

And just as an FYI here dudes and duedettes, there’s a chance that I may be doing something special for ESPN during the Regionals and Super Regionals round of games as well, but I don’t know for sure if it’s gonna happen, so I’ll stay tight-lipped for now about it.

Either way. Feel free to subside your anger at ESPN and ESPN.com for cutting some coverage this year. Looks like they’ll make up for it in June.

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THREE BIG THINGS WE LEARNED.

1- If you’re in the Top Five of the RPI, you can’t lose to a team with just nine wins on the year. It’s a ratings killer.

2- Vanderbilt might have just moved up to being all alone as the top SEC power.

3- The RPI formula has changed, but there’s still not a lot of good about it – witness the ACC’s over-representation in the Top 30.

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TEAM OF THE WEEKEND: 

- Vanderbilt.

Like the slow and methodical tortoise who keeps an even pace and beats the hare, the Commodores are the All-Balls team in the SEC, considering LSU’s series loss to South Carolina and VU’s three-game clampdown of then-No. 10 Mississippi State. The ‘Dores now have a six-game lead on 2nd place South Carolina in the SEC East and it looks like only malaise – or perhaps the occasional propensity to give away free passes – can derail the Black & Gold this year.

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OFF-THE-RADAR TEAM OF THE WEEKEND:

- Columbia.

They may not be “too” off the radar since I had been following and mentioning them all weekend, but it’s still the vastly under-sung Ivy League we’re talking about.  The Lions swept Penn in four games this weekend and pulled off an impressive league campaign by finishing 16-4, their most Ivy wins in a season ever. This despite the fact that 31-7 Dartmouth has gotten most of the attention in the Ancient Eight this season – spending the first two months of 2013 in the Top 40 of the RPI. Now, CU will host the Big Green this coming weekend in a best two-of-three to determine who goes to the Big Dance in June.

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NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME PLAYERS: 

- Mississippi State

We thought the Dogs were ready for the national spotlight and coming into the weekend they had some momentum going, winning three straight SEC weekends. Then they went to Music City… and got drummed. Vanderbilt sent them back to Starkpatch with an 0-and-3 look on their face, tumbling the Bullies into the lower rungs of the SEC West at the same time. But again, redemption is never more than five days away in the SEC as they’ll host Alabama this week, who sits a game and a half ahead of them in the SEC West standings. Okay Bulldogs, lemme hear ya’ growl like you mean it.

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WISH I HAD A TICKET TO: 

- Kansas at West Virginia.

Man, I wish I was at Epling Stadium in Beckley, WV this weekend. Coach Randy Mazey’s team had a bit of an unveiling if you will.  Prior to this weekend, KU had been the biggest “surprise” of the Big 12, but now you can put that label on the Mountaineers. With all three games coming down to one-run. The final game was moved to Saturday due to impending weather and the ‘Neers pulled out a dramatic 12-inning, 3-2 jog-off win when catcher Alan Filauro knocked int Ryan McBroom with a single to right field. WVU has gone 18-5 since limping out to a 9-13 start to the season.

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HEATING UP: 

- The Big East.

It’s a banner year for the conference, and it might as well be since it’ll be all but completely turned over next year with a much-weaker field of teams. (Yes, freakin’ conference realignment strikes again). But 2013? It’s been totally BOSS. Notre Dame and Louisville were carrying the banner early on, but since then, teams like league-leader South Florida, Pitt and certainly Seton Hall, have bowed up and become major factors with recent runs. USF is on a 15-1 run, Pitt is 12-1 in their last Lucky 13 and The Hall has won 18 of its last 22 games.

Right now, the standings look like this:

- USF, 13-2

- Pitt, 12-3

- L’ville, 11-4

- Seton Hall, 10-5

- Rutgers, 8-7

- Notre Dame, 7-8

Those seven teams also are all deeply into the discussion of having a viable RPI for at-large consideration.

- USF: 77

- Pitt: 47

- L’ville: 22

- Seton Hall: 46

- Rutgers: 61

- Notre Dame: 26

Odd as it is, the No. 1 team actually has the worst RPI, with the Bulls still a ways off from getting into the post-season discussion. But that could change quickly with their series at Notre Dame this coming weekend.

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COOLING DOWN:

- Houston.

Ack! This might be one of those cases where its a young team that is wearing down from the long season, a plight which is all too common in college baseball. On March 31st the Cougars were 23-5 and unbeaten in Conference USA play. Since April Fool’s Day, the youthful Coogs have gone 4-12, including this weekend’s series sweep at the hands of UCF, 4-2, 5-4 and 7-3.

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BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW…

- that if the season ended today, South Alabama could be a Regional host.

The Jaguars are currently sitting at 34-12 overall and hold a two-game lead over Troy with a 15-6 Sun Belt mark. Plus, the kicker in this plot, is that the Jags are also at No. 14 in the latest RPI. Plus, the Jags pulled in 3,384 fans to Stanky Field for their mid-week game with Mississippi State a few weeks ago. So big crowds are part of the deal too.

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COACH WHO DESERVES A RAISE:

- Ed Servais, Creighton.

Yeah, this is a homer call, sure. But this “deserves a raise” thing IS based on fact. It seems no matter who I talk to in the opposite dugout of the Bluejay maestro, he just gets heaps of praise. I’ll never forget how UCLA’s John Savage glossed on and on after the Regionals last year about how Creighton is “so well coached” and “does things the right way.” Heard similar things from DBU’s Dan Heefner earlier this season and then this weekend, Oklahoma State’s Josh Holliday echoed the same thing, calling Creighton “the most fundamental team” he’s seen.

Okay Bluejay administration, open of the pocket book from all that soon-to-come Big East windfall and deal some out to Coach Ed.

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MY S.I.D. OF THE WEEK:

- Glen Sisk, Creighton.

Yep, I get the “homer” label again. Piss off.

But this dude deserves a shout across the rooftops for taking over the baseball SID gig at CU this season and handling it like a professional job. I guess I just really appreciate getting free parking (it was $8 in surrounding lots at TDA) and concession coupons, which I was stunned to find were able to be used on beer and whiskey. Oh and of course, Glen is one of those SIDs who Emails all post-game releases to me. So Glen, literally, this beer’s for you.

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FREAK OF THE WEEK: 

- Whoever decided it was a good idea to make single-ply toilet paper.

Nice goin’ prick. You’ve just given every public bathroom in gas stations, airports, cheap hotels and brothels a reason to use this virtuously transparent paper that nearly disintegrates in mid air as you’re trying to gather it and roll it up. And yes, because it’s so threadbare, half a roll gets used at each “sitting” if you will. What’s the logic in that? You buy the cheap shit so people can rip through it three times as fast? If you buy the toilet paper in your household, don’t be cheap. Treat your nether-regions to multi-ply toilet paper with a pillowy texture. Now let’s find that guy who developed toilet paper thinner than Kate Moss and beat this ass.

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THE GOOD AND BAD LIST. 

Those who fell, those who rose this weekend in that almighty entity known as the RPI.

BIG MOVERS INSIDE THE TOP 25

- South Carolina +8.

Last Week: No. 16

This Week: No. 8

Won two of three at LSU. Moved from Regional host spot to National Seed range.

- Arizona State, +4

Thursday: No. 19

Monday: No. 15.

Devils get a road sweep at Utah, now they’re within that magical Top 16.

- Cal State Fullerton, -5

Thursday: No. 5

Monday: No. 10

Shows what losing a game to lowly Hawaii will do to your ranking. Ugh.

- Clemson, -4

Thursday: No. 12

Monday: No. 16

The Tigers drop nearly out of the top 16 for a series win over Georgia Tech? Strange.

- Miami, -7

Thursday: No. 11

Monday: No. 18.

Conversely, the Hurricanes ONLY drop seven spots after two losses at Boston College? Weirder.

- Mercer, +6

Thursday: No. 27

Monday: No. 21

Little surprised they got such a good bump this week, since their lone loss was to a Florida A&M team that is now 5-40.

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BIG MOVERS OUTSIDE THE TOP 25

- New Mexico, +31

Thursday: No. 71

Monday: No. 40

Crikies! UNM earns the Quantum Leap Award for this week after sweeping UNLV.

- Arizona, +23

Thursday: No. 68

Monday: No. 45

I don’t get this one at all, the champs jump up 23 spots based on sweeping SWAC member Alabama State?

- Troy, +19

Thursday: No. 52

Monday: No. 33.

The Trojans are now smack-dab in the at-large convo after winning two of three at FAU.

- North Florida, + 19

Thursday: No. 63

Monday: No. 44

Damn. Beat your 14-29 rival Jacksonville and you get a boost into at-large consideration.

- Michigan State, -11

Thursday: No. 26

Monday: No. 37

Another weekend like that – beating Purdue two-of-three – and the Spartans can forget the Big Dance.

- San Diego, – 15

Thursday: No. 35

Monday: No. 50

Toreros drop two of three at San Francisco to plummet out of at-large range.

- William & Mary, – 22

Thursday: No. 32

Monday: No. 54

Another precipitous drop, but this was due to *winning* a series vs. George Mason.

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THE POWER RANKINGS: 

Here you go people, it’s the No-B.S. way I voted in this week’s NBCWA poll.

1- Vanderbilt, 39-6

Of Note: Commodores send a message to the rest of the SEC, “We’re not to be messed with.” after putting a turd in the punchbowl of Mississippi State’s hot streak.

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2- North Carolina, 41-4

Of Note: Tarheels double their loss total in one week, going 2-2. Would’ve been interesting to see how game three vs. N.C. State would’ve turned out. Damn rain.

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3- Cal State Fullerton, 36-7

Of Note: Hawaii isn’t getting much positive vibes, but their obviously good enough to pull an upset of the Titans on Friday night. Wow.

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4- Oregon State, 34-8

Of Note: Beavers held USC to five runs in 27 innings, and still have best arms staff in pitching-rich Pac 12 with a 2.02 team ERA.

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5- LSU, 39-6

Of Note: Do the Tigers get a “mulligan” here? Dropping two of three to SoCar in Alex Box Stadium was a surprise. Offense got stymied for seven runs in three games.

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6- Oregon, 33-10

Of Note: Ducks add to Stanford’s woes with a trio of close shaves, but all winning close shaves too. The D is still sweeping at an impressive .980 pace.

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7- UCLA, 27-13

Of Note: Bruins could’ve fallen a lot more if not for all the teams around them having middle-of-the-road weekends as well. Still, winning two games on the Palouse is not easy.

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8- North Carolina State, 34-11

Of Note: The Wolf Pack rebounded nicely from that Friday night plunking vs. UNC. The Pack are still big strikeout artists, leading the ACC with 394 punchouts.

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9- Louisville, 33-10

Of Note: The Cards got S-canned pretty badly at home to Vanderbilt in the mid-week (an 10-2 beatdown), leaving them in a little bit of a funk for Georgetown.

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10- Arizona State, 28-12-1

Of Note: As mentioned above the Devils got some love from the series win at Utah. R.J. Ybarra had four RBI and a HR in that Sunday come-from-behind win.

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11- Oklahoma, 33-11

Of Note: No Dillon Overton, no prob… at least THIS week. Jake Fisher got the game one start vs. TTU, went 7.1 innings with 10Ks and 0BBs to get his first win of 2013.

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12- South Carolina, 33-12

Of Note: Pesky mid-week loss to The Citadel counter-balances a stellar 2-to-1 weekend in Baton Rouge (but only a smidge). This could be a turning point for SoCar’s season.

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13- Indiana, 34-8

Of Note: The Hoosiers 34 wins is the most Ws in Tracy Smith’s time at the helm in Bloomington and the most overall since 2003′s 34-22 team. Big trip to Nebraska is next.

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14- Oklahoma State, 32-11

Of Note: Got to see the Cowboys up close this weekend and was impressed with their arms, with their 2.80 ERA. The Pokes just don’t issue many walks, you really have to work at beating them.

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15- Virginia, 38-8

Of Note: Oof! I thought about giving the Wahoos a pass on this latest weekend loss to rival VaTech. They haven’t been a *great* road team, so I wonder how they’ll do at UNC in three weeks.

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16- Rice, 28-14

Of Note: Week off for exams – and the Owls are smart too – now they’ll face winnable weekends vs. UAB, Memphis and Marshall to close the regular season.

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17- Florida State, 35-9

Of Note: With rainout on Sunday, FSU remains a half-game ahead of NC State in Atlantic Division. Interesting series with UCF this weekend on ESPN3.

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18- Pittsburgh, 32-10

Of Note: Since that weekend sweep at the hands of USF, Pitt has won 12 of 13. With 42 HRs this year, the Panthers have more than doubled the next closest team in the Big East – three teams have hit 19.

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19- Notre Dame, 26-16

Of Note: Here’s where the Irish need to make some hay. They’ll host Big East-leading South Florida this weekend in a huge series. Game three is on CBS Sports.

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20- New Mexico, 27-16

Of Note: This is starting to look a lot like 2012. The Lobos didn’t have a sexy record, but they got piping hot down the stretch and into the MWC tourney they became a sexy upset pick in NCAA tournament brackets everywhere. Ditto for this year.

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Five on the Edge:

Clemson, Mississippi State, Cal Poly, Mercer, South Alabama

Look, I’m serious Stitch-Heads, this is some pretty bad-ass stuff here. Check out what Mike Rooney and I have to say about the current state of college baseball and the upcoming weekend ahead. Should be a lot of fun. But Roons and I did another bang-em-up job on making it sound fun, not stuffy.

Hope you dig it, boys and girls. Give it a whirl MoFos. You’ll be all the more  well-informed and entertained. Money-back guarantee.

Why so late? Had a little car trouble on Monday and my team of mechanics couldn’t fix it in time.

Car troubles in the desert? My mechanics tried to work wonders, but couldn’t help me out enough.

Monday was a grand pisser of a day for baldy here.

On my return from the Bay Area, my car’s alternator decided to stop working halfway down Interstate 5, known as “The Grapevine.” And as any of you may know who have had the misfortune of driving down that gawd-awful stretch of road, there ain’t shit along that freeway. The entire San Joaquin Valley that surrounds the I-5 is mostly brush, dirt and grape fields. My car decided to die from lack of electricity right smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, 20 miles from any form of civilization or settlements.

So after my team of mechanics pictured above couldn’t get the car going, I ended up getting towed to Fresno for $300 bucks, even though the gentleman who towed me was kind enough to point out that he was “supposed” to charge $420 dollars instead. (Yeah, I don’t believe him either… these two truck drivers not being the most reputable gents in the world, ya’ know). And get this, while I was in town, I decided to go to the Fresno Grizzlies game (the AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) and forget my troubles. The Grizzlies beat the Tucson Padres – coached by former Arizona State head honcho Pat Murphy – 8-7 in the Grizzlies’ downtown stadium which was situated in a very, very dangerous-looking hoodlum part of town. Merely calling it “The Hood” is doing this place a disservice. It’s much worse than that.

And alas, when I got to my equally scary hotel after the game, it was quite unsurprising to find that I couldn’t get on their wimpy wireless service. No internet. No article. No dice.

Awesome… and I don’t use the phrase “awesome” often.

So this week’s “20 Mondays” is an abbreviated version of what I normally send (you’ll notice it for sure in my Top 20 Power Rankings), since I didn’t have internet to work with on Monday night. And by the way, I’m posting up this column while at a Starbucks on Tuesday morning in Fresno whose the wireless signal wasn’t a problem at all.

Eh, what the hell. Life threw me a curveball. No biggie. It happens.

Okay Stitch-Heads, as for you guys, thanks for the understanding. I’ll be back with more soon. But here’s the abbreviated form of what I started as my normal Monday column;

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THREE BIG THINGS WE LEARNED.

1- Being burned by teams like Georgia Tech, Florida State and Kentucky might be happening again.

2- This isn’t Earthshaking news but I’ve become more convinced than ever that we will not have a repeat national champion.

3- North Carolina may be pulling away from the crowd as the national favorite.

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TEAM OF THE WEEKEND: 

- North Carolina State

And again, I had the Pack BARELY edging Virginia for this honor this week, if only because they went and toppled then-No. 16 Georgia Tech in three straight games ON THE ROAD. So not only do they get heavy props in my 20 Mondays column this week, they also get a helluva lot of RPI love for sweeping a series at another highly-ranked teams’ field.

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OFF-THE-RADAR TEAM OF THE WEEKEND:

- Oklahoma State

Very quietly, the Pokes are putting together a hot streak, featured prominently by this weekend’s sweep of Kansas State, who came in with a 6-3 mark in Big 12 play and a No. 47 RPI.

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NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME PLAYER: 

- Just about everybody in the Top 25.

This was a weekend of disaster in most cases. Only four teams in the NCBWA rankings went unbeaten this weekend, which is why there was such a shakeup. North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and N.C. State were the only teams to go unscathed on their ledger. And not only did a lot of teams lose, twelve of the Top 25 lost two or more games.

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WISH I HAD A TICKET TO: 

- Stony Brook at Maine.

The battle between the AmEast rivals was three-games long and in the end was decided by a single run. The Black Bears won a Saturday DH 3-2 and 2-1, before dropping Sunday’s getaway game 1-0 in 10 innings. Wow. UMaine is now in 1st place in the conference with a 13-4 mark and 24-15 overall. Get this, the Seawolves have now played seven straight one-run games in America East play and dropped to 7-11 in the loop after the weekend. Still, this should be a wicked-good precursor to what the AmEast post-season tournament has to offer.

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HEATING UP: 

- The Land of Enchantment.

Remember a few weeks ago when we were chastising New Mexico and New Mexico State for backsliding out of the national spotlight? Well, forget all that. UNM has now won seven in a row and is actually back in the Baseball America Top 25 ranking at No. 24. The Aggies have heated up a bit as well, going 9-3 the last three weeks including this week’s 4-1 mark, which included a four-game road sweep at Louisiana Tech. UNM is now 24-16 overall, having improved to 14-4 in MWC play with this weekend’s sweep at Nevada.

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COOLING DOWN:

- The Pretenders of the ACC.

Seems like every year about this time we get a sloughing off of teams from the ACC, who take a stellar start and then suddenly dive into oblivion, as if they were the star of their own “127 Hours” movie. This week we saw Florida State and Georgia Tech get S-canned in three straight games at No. 8 Virginia and vs. No. 17 North Carolina State respectively. Let’s see if they recover soon and prove this was just a blip on the screen.

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COACH WHO DESERVES A RAISE:

- Mike Fox, North Carolina.

C’mon, let’s get a groundswell of support to get this guy a raise. He’s got his team primed for another national title run and it’s long been understated that his teams making it to Omaha four years in a row (2006-to-2009) was an amazing accomplishment. And this year’s squad looks even more formidable than those Tar Heel units did. All hail the very humble Mike Fox. He’s got a master plan in place.

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MY S.I.D. OF THE WEEK:

- Scott Ball, Cal

The dude had to sit through nearly losing his job in 2011 as the program was almost set up on the chopping block. Yet, he persevered. And today, he’s seeing a renaissance from the Golden Bear baseball program. He’s always going beyond the call of duty, sending out game write-ups each time the Bears play and also helping to hook me up with coach Dave Esquer whenever I need it – even during football season, which I did when I came up to Berkeley to cover the Oregon-Cal game and made an impromptu visit with Coach Esquer. Thanks for your years of service Scott. This designation is for you.

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FREAK OF THE WEEK: 

- Johnny Law. (Cops)

Let me be very clear here. Those policemen who tracked down the Boston Marathon bombers and those who served on 9-11 in New York City are certified heroes. No doubt. That is NOT up for debate here.

But let’s not lump all cops into the “hero” category. In fact, California Highway Patrolmen?… biggest money-rookin’ pussies you’ll ever meet. Driving from the Bay Area down I-5 today, my radar detector went off numerous times as I saw cops hiding out beneath freeway overpasses and gullies just waiting for someone to go an inch over the speed limit (which was 70 for the most part). They’ve made one of the worst stretch of roads in the country even worse because you can’t drive down the Grapevine freeway without a radar detector and your head on a constant swivel, for fear of getting a ticket.

Oh, and when I was broken down on the side of the road for those 90 minutes, I saw two cop cars roar past me without bothering to stop and offer assistance or make sure I wasn’t bludgeoned by drifters from the Manson Family. Thanks a lot guys. You guys give the Boston Police and the New York Police a bad association.

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POWER RANKINGS: 

The prime indicator of who’s playing the best ball at this moment. Here’s how I voted in the NCBWA poll this week…

1- North Carolina, 39-2

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2- Cal State Fullerton, 34-6

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3- LSU, 37-4

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4- Vanderbilt, 35-6

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5- Oregon State, 30-8

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6- UCLA, 25-11

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7- North Carolina State, 32-10

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8- Virginia, 35-6

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9- Oregon, 29-10

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10- Louisville, 30-9

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11- Arizona State, 24-12

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12- Oklahoma, 31-10

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13- Mississippi State, 32-10

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14- South Carolina, 31-10

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15- Rice, 28-14

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16- Cal Poly, 26-11

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17- Indiana, 29-8

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18- Oklahoma State, 27-11

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19- Florida State, 31-9

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20- Gonzaga, 26-11

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Five on the Edge:

Pitt, Notre Dame, Mercer, Michigan State, UNC Wilmington