Category: Baseball

Five Alive, Notre Dame Baseball Win Streak Hits 5 Games, Go For Sweep of UNC Tomorrow

Notre Dame Baseball wins its fifth straight game, go for series sweep of UNC tomorrow.

The Irish offense struck early again, this time a 2-run Homer from LF Jack Zyska, to give starter Alex Rao a lead over host North Carolina before throwing a pitch.

Rao worked three plus innings, getting a great defensive play by RF Brooks Coetzee that ended a two-on situation in the bottom of the third.

Rao started the fourth but gave up a leadoff double and was pulled by first-year Manager Link Jarrett. Reliever Joe Boyle entered the game and allowed the inherited runner to score, evening up the game at 4 after four. Shortstop Zack Prajzner made a phenomenal play to start an inning ending double-play.

The offense awoke in the top of the 6th, as David LaManna’s pinch hit single drove in two runs giving the Irish a 4-2 lead.

Four more runs in the top of the 7th broke the game open for Notre Dame, Coatzee’s three-run bomb after a Prajzner RBI double accounted for the damage.

The Tar Heels fought back in the bottom of the inning, scoring five times to trim the Irish lead to one at 8-7 after seven. North Carolina would tie the game in the bottom of the 8th on the second unearned run allowed by the Irish defense. The game would head into extra innings and in the top of the 10th pinch-hitter Eric Gilgenbach cleared the bases with a double giving the Irish a 11-8 lead.

It was a complete team effort to get this win, as Jack Brannigan started the game at third base and ended the game on the mound to get the win. That makes 5 straight wins for the Irish, winners of their first four series of the year and an opportunity for their second sweep in a row tomorrow. It has been quite a start for Jarrett in his first season in South Bend. Notre Dame attempts to bring out the brooms again tomorrow, with first pitch set for 1pm EST.

Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: 4 Late-Round Closer Targets

Assessing 2020 fantasy baseball sleepers and looking at four late-round closer options who can pile up saves this season.

Drafting closers who can rack up saves is one of the most difficult parts of fantasy baseball. The inherent volatility of the position — with many managers having short leashes for any sort of struggles in the latter innings — adds to the difficulty. It’s often not worth the price to take unproven closers in the early-to-mid rounds only for them to lose their job before the end of April. Here, we’ll look at four relief pitchers with a chance to take over the ninth-inning duties for their respective teams who are worth a late-round flier in your 2020 fantasy baseball drafts.

2020 Fantasy baseball sleepers: Closers

Ty Buttrey, Los Angeles Angels

Buttrey is expected to start the 2020 season behind Hansel Robles on the Angels’ closer depth chart. Robles has struggled this spring, however, and new manager Joe Maddon will have little allegiance to a player who converted 23 of 27 save opportunities in 2019.

The soon-to-be 27-year-old Buttrey appeared in 72 games last season but converted just 2 of 6 save opportunities. Still, he had a better strikeout rate than Robles and could certainly earn a shot if Robles takes his spring issues into the season. The Angels are expecting to be much better in 2020 after a busy offseason, and Robles’ leash will be kept tight while closing for a team with playoff aspirations.

Also see: 2020 Fantasy Baseball Busts: 5 Players to Avoid on Draft Day

Luke Jackson, Atlanta Braves

Jackson begins the 2020 season in a middle- relief role, while Mark Melancon and Will Smith occupy the late-inning roles. Jackson ranked inside the top 20 of qualified relievers last season in both strikeout rate (33.7%) and ground-ball rate (60.5%).

The 28-year-old converted just 18 of 25 save opportunities in 2019, but he did gain a reasonable amount of experience. He may need only to overcome Melancon, who hasn’t saved more than 12 games since 2016, with Smith preferred for the set-up role.

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Dellin Betances, New York Mets

Betances, who’s recovering from a torn Achilles which limited him to 2/3 of an inning with the New York Yankees last year, is still targeting Opening Day for his return to a major league mound. Used almost exclusively as a set-up man by the Yanks, Betances has converted 36 of 55 save opportunities over his career. He has an elite strikeout rate year-over-year and he induces more soft contact than hard. Betances will be available to replace Edwin Diaz if the latter’s 2019 struggles persist in the early going of 2020.

Andrew Miller, St. Louis Cardinals

Another veteran with considerable ninth-inning experience, Miller will start the season behind Giovanny Gallegos for closer duties. Gallegos, 28, pitched to a 2.31 ERA across 74 innings and 66 games last season, but he’s just 2-for-6 in career save opportunities. Miller has mostly been a set-up man the last four seasons, but he has 59 career saves and just 16 blown chances. He’s available at the end of drafts and will get enough work even in middle relief to provide value from the RP slot with strong ratios and high strikeout totals.

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Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire.

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Wright State hands Tennessee first loss

2020 Tennessee baseball.

KNOXVILLE — A 13-game winning streak came to an end for the University of Tennessee baseball team Friday when the Volunteers dropped a 5-4 decision to Wright State at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Jake Rucker went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Alerick Soularie went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI.

Connor Pavalony gave Tennessee (13-1) a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.

The Raiders (4-8) took a 4-2 lead in the seventh before the Volunteers tied things with a pair in the eighth.

Wright State scored the winning run in the ninth on an unearned run.

Ohio State baseball loses to Stetson 9-1

The Ohio State baseball team couldn’t hang with Stetson Friday night, losing 9-1 in DeLand, Florida.

The Ohio State baseball team took it on the chin Friday night, dropping the first game of the weekend series 9-1 to Stetson in DeLand, Florida.

The Buckeyes got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and seemed to have dodged a bullet with ace Seth Lonsway on the mound. In reality, it was just the beginning of more offensive opportunities for the Hatters.

Stetson struck first in the bottom of the 2nd inning, plating two runs on two walks, a single, and a wild pitch. It got two more in the 3rd inning with Lonsway continuing to struggle with his command. He was lifted in the inning after giving up another single and a walk, but the damage was done with OSU down 4-0.

Ohio State’s only run came in the top of the 5th inning on a two-out rally. Matt Carpenter walked, then Mitchell Okuley lined one off the wall for an RBI triple to make the score 5-1. Unfortunately, that’s as close as the scarlet and gray would get, ultimately surrendering four more runs.

It has been a very disappointing start to the season to say the least for the Buckeyes. The loss drops Ohio State’s overall record to 3-7. It’ll try to get some momentum going on the season when it goes at it again tomorrow at Noon against Harvard.

Kavadas Homers Again, Notre Dame Baseball Defeats UNC 8-5 in ACC Opener

Notre Dame Baseball improved to 8-2 after beating North Carolina 8-5 in Chapel Hill.

Once again, the Irish offense got on the board early to stake ace Tommy Sheehan a lead to work with. Another long ball from 1B Niko Kavadas, his 6th of the year, in the second and three more runs in the third gave Sheehan a nice 4-0 early cushion in Chapel Hill.

The big blow in the second came off shortstop Zach Prajzner’s bat, as the other two runs weren’t as exciting with a 2B Jared Miller walk with the bases loaded and a Kavadas Sac-Fly.

Sheehan then gave up two in the bottom of the 4th to the Tar Heels, which ended his night and gave way to Tommy Vail. Vail was extremely effective giving up just three more runs in his five innings to close the game out.

The Irish got one back on CF Spencer Myers RBI single in the top of the 6th but Carolina made it a game in the bottom of the seventh, with Notre Dame keeping a 5-4 lead at the stretch.

Miller’s second RBI of the game in the top of the 8th gave the Irish a two-run lead once again and they never looked back.

Two more runs in the 9th off 3B Jack Brannigan’s double and DH Carter Putz scoring on a wild pitch. Although Vail gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth, he still earned the win. First year manager Link Jarrett has to be ecstatic about this start, Notre Dame improving to 8-2 so far this year after the 8-5 win. The Irish look to win their 4th straight series tomorrow with first pitch scheduled at 2pm EST.

Texas Baseball: Cal State Fullerton Preview

Texas welcomes Cal State Fullerton to Austin this weekend. Meeting for the first time since the 2004 CWS, UT will be looking for revenge.

Texas welcomes Cal State Fullerton to Austin this weekend for the first weekend series in March. While the Longhorns have lost two straight games, they are sitting at 10-3 overall, having the third-most wins in the Big 12.

The Titans are struggling this season, only picking up four wins in 13 games. They have only won one series to this point, taking two out of three from Stanford to begin the season.

These two teams have a history as they met in the 2004 College World Series Finals. The Titans swept Texas, winning the two games 6-4 and 3-2. Meeting for the first time since then, the Longhorns will be looking for revenge 16 years later.

Here is a weekend preview for Texas baseball:

Game information

Dates: March 6-8, 2020

Times: Friday – 6:30 p.m. CST; Saturday – Noon CST; Sunday – 1:30 p.m. CST

Location: UFCU Disch-Falk Field Austin Texas

Watch: Longhorn Network

Listen: 104.9 FM The Horn/1260 AM

Stream: ESPN App

Projected Pitching Matchups

Friday

Texas RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 2.33) vs. CSF  RHP Tanner Bibee (1-2, 1.93)

Saturday

Texas RHP Ty Madden (3-0, 1.71) vs. CSF RHP Tanner Luckham (2-0, 1.80)

Sunday Texas RHP Coy Cobb (0-0, 2.51) vs. CSF RHP Joe Magrisi (0-2, 3.63)

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2020 Fantasy Baseball Busts: 5 Players to Avoid on Draft Day

Highlighting five fantasy baseball bust candidates who should be avoided at their average draft position (ADP).

We recently looked at the top fantasy baseball sleepers for the 2020 MLB season and now focus on five fantasy baseball bust candidates you’ll need to avoid during your fantasy baseball draft, at least at their current average draft position (ADP) cost.

The term “bust” isn’t always meant for players who’ll have downright awful seasons. Here, it refers to players who won’t meet your fantasy baseball expectations based on where they’re being drafted and who they’re being drafted above.

Also see: 2020 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

2020 Fantasy baseball busts

Jorge Soler, OF, Kansas City Royals

(Photo Credit: Jay Biggerstaff – USA TODAY Sports)

Soler broke out in 2019 to more than double in his career total in homers with 48 while playing all 162 games. He hit just nine homers in 61 games with the Royals in 2018.

He has a career batting average of .255, though he has .265 each of the last two seasons, and his 26.2% strikeout rate last season was worse than all but 16 other qualified hitters. He has next to no speed to offer, and he has little protection while hitting in the middle of a rebuilding Royals club.

DJ LeMahieu, INF, New York Yankees

(Photo Credit: Troy Taormina – USA TODAY Sports)

LeMahieu, at age 31, hit more home runs in his first season with the Yankees than in he did in any of six full seasons with the Colorado Rockies. In fact, his 26 home runs last season were more than he hit in total in 2017 and 2018. This despite a move to Yankee Stadium from Coors Field.

The veteran infield also noticed a spike in his batting average and on-base percentage, despite a pedestrian 7.0% walk rate. He hasn’t been able to steal double-digit bases since 2016, and he’s one of several Yankees hitters who can be expected to see a dip in the runs and RBI totals this year after a record-setting 2019 for the team.

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Mallex Smith, OF, Seattle Mariners

(Photo Credit: David Banks – USA TODAY Sports)

Smith led baseball with 46 stolen bases last season, and he was thrown out just nine times. His .227 batting average was worse than anyone else with at least 12 SBs and he struck out in 24.9% of plate appearances with just a 7.4% walk rate. He has just 13 career home runs in 428 games and is purely a one-category player.

Josh Bell, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates

(Photo Credit: Cody Glenn – USA TODAY Sports)

Similarly to Soler, Bell enjoyed a career-best power surge last season. He has the better-rounded game, but as the only hitter to fear in a soft Pirates lineup, he’s unlikely to see enough pitches to hit, and there’ll be no one to drive him home once he walks.

He ranked ninth in baseball in RBI last season, but he’ll have fewer men on base in 2020, as well.

Josh Hader, RP, Milwaukee Brewers

(Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports)

Hader is this year’s prime example of relievers being overvalued in fantasy baseball. He ranked third in baseball in saves last season while pitching to a 2.62 ERA. He ranked first with 16.41 strikeouts per nine innings and his 75 2/3 innings were more than anyone else in the top 10 in the category, but he’s being drafted an average of 18 spots ahead of the next highest RP.

He’s also the closer for a Brewers team expected to take at least a small step backward this season in the competitive NL Central. Expect fewer saves this season and not enough strikeouts to justify picking Hader above the likes of Charlie Morton, Zach Greinke, Lucas Giolito, Chris Paddack and other top-tier starters.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire.

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UT baseball to hold free kid’s clinic to benefit those affected by midstate tornadoes

UT baseball to hold free kid’s clinic.

KNOXVILLE — Tornadoes touched down in Nashville and in the midstate during the early morning hours Tuesday, leaving behind deaths, injuries and destruction.

The University of Tennessee announced Wednesday that it will put on a free kid’s clinic on March 5 from 4:30-6 p.m. ET at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Donations will be accepted to help benefit those affected by the tornadoes.

UT players and coaches will be on hand to provide instruction and sign autographs for those in attendance.

UT press release:

Tennessee baseball will hold a free kid’s clinic on Thursday, March 5 from 4:30-6 p.m. at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, with donations being accepted to help benefit those affected by the devastating tornadoes in Nashville and surrounding areas in the midstate.

UT players and coaches will be on hand to provide instruction as well as sign autographs for those in attendance. The clinic is limited to kids in kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8).

There will also be ticket giveaways and the chance to win Tennessee baseball gear.

Those who plan on attending are asked to park in the G16 garage located on the corner of Volunteer Blvd. and Pat Head Summitt St.

A parking map can be found by clicking HERE.

Vols rout Longwood, 28-2

2020 Tennessee baseball.

KNOXVILLE — For the second time in 2020, the University of Tennessee baseball team has scored more than 20 runs in a game.

The Volunteers kept their perfect record intact with a 28-2 victory over Longwood Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Tennessee (13-0) pounded out 19 hits against the Lancers, including eight that went for extra bases.

Alerick Soularie clubbed a three-run homer to open the scoring for the Vols, who scored 23 runs in a victory over Western Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 16.

Soularie, Tennessee’s junior preseason all-American, went 2-for-5 and drove in four runs and scored three.

Zach Daniels also had a home run and a triple.

Drew Gilbert, Luc Lipcius, Liam Spence and Matt Turino all doubled for the Diamond Vols, who scored four runs in each of the first three innings. UT added five in the fifth and sixth frames. The Vols tallied six runs in the seventh to cap the day as Gilbert, Daniels, Soularie, Lipcius, Beck, Turino, Pete Derkay and Trey Lipscomb all recorded multiple hits against Longwood (3-10).

Gilbert, Daniels, Lipcius and Soularie each stole a base for the Big Orange, which hosts Wright State in a three-game set this weekend.

The 28 runs are the most scored by a Tennessee team since the Vols routed Morehead State on Feb. 14, 2004.

Notre Dame Baseball Has Two Early Season Standouts

Notre Dame Baseball players Niko Kavadas and Spencer Myers enjoying early season success.

After hitting four, yes four, home runs this past weekend in a sweep of Presbyterian, Notre Dame’s 1B Niko Kavadas was named one of BaseballNews.com’s players of the week.

Kavadas leads the Irish in home runs (5), RBI (13), second in slugging (.649) and third in runs (8) leading the team to a 7-2 record, good for third place in the ACC’s Atlantic division. The five homers lead the ACC while the 13 RBI have Kavadas tied for fifth in the conference.

Speaking of Notre Dame players who are having great seasons, let’s not forget what CF Spencer Myers has done, not just leading the ACC but the nation in steals with 13, three ahead of his competition. Myers had 6 steals in the final against Presbyterian, leads the Irish with 17 hits, second with 10 runs scored is also off to a fantastic start to the year.

Link Jarrett, in his first season as manager, has watched his star hit for plenty of power early on in the season, but there is still room for improvement, as Kavadas has just a .243 average. If the first-baseman keeps hitting for power and adds a few more hits here and there, the junior could be looking at a huge season offensively for the Irish.