Mountain West Connection: All Posts by Don StarksAll you need to know about the Mountain West, and then somehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50409/mwc-fav.png2017-06-21T11:11:09-07:00https://www.mwcconnection.com/authors/Bozar/rss2017-06-21T11:11:09-07:002017-06-21T11:11:09-07:00Some Juniors Have Signed Pro Contracts
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<figcaption>New Mexico’s Carl Stajduhar is the biggest name to sign | New Mexico Athletics</figcaption>
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<h1 id="TURIR5"><strong>The Waiting Game Continues</strong></h1>
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<p id="cWCFy3">As you can see below, a few have signed with New Mexico having lost the most at this point. Fresno has lost one still eligible to play to the pro life. Remember, I didn’t include seniors as they were gone anyway.</p>
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<h3 id="8Z69ZO"><strong>New Mexico (four draftees)</strong></h3>
<p id="fzk77c">Luis Gonzalez (JR)</p>
<p id="EM69FI">Tyler Stevens (JR) - <strong>SIGNED</strong></p>
<p id="sT7CPZ">Carl Stajduhar (JR) - <strong>SIGNED</strong></p>
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<h3 id="HVAl8T"><strong>San Diego State (five draftees)</strong></h3>
<p id="5gMy6N">Alan Trejo (JR) - <strong>SIGNED</strong></p>
<p id="8QAu2S">Tyler Adkison (JR)</p>
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<h3 id="HZNwBd"><strong>Fresno State (eight draftees)</strong></h3>
<p id="DZiv49">Ricky Tyler Thomas (JR)</p>
<p id="PmWbvB">Aaron Arruda (JR) - <strong>SIGNED</strong></p>
<p id="5r4htd">Jared Akins (JR) - The draft list I checked has him as Adkins</p>
<p id="6tVlWo">Fred Schlichtholz (JR) </p>
<p id="0iqOba">Rickey Ramirez (JR)</p>
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<h3 id="C1Yc7X"><strong>Nevada (two draftees)</strong></h3>
<p id="WS72IX">Jordan Pearce (JR)</p>
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<h3 id="VXu7xX"><strong>San Jose State (two drafted)</strong></h3>
<p id="zJ5v0y">Josh Nashed (JR)</p>
<p id="k4s9Cz">Matt Brown (JR)</p>
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<h3 id="CqNTZh">UNLV (three drafted)</h3>
<p id="enGhwT">Payton Squier (JR) - <strong>SIGNED</strong></p>
<p id="FBqID0">Ernie De La Trinidad (RS SO) - <strong>SIGNED</strong></p>
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https://www.mwcconnection.com/2017/6/21/15847894/some-juniors-have-signed-pro-contractsDon Starks2017-06-15T13:13:22-07:002017-06-15T13:13:22-07:00Rounds 11 Through 40 Yield Some MWC Gems
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<figcaption>OK, I’m being a bit biased here as this is San Jose State’s Matt Brown. | Terrell Lloyd</figcaption>
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<h1 id="eHauDP"><strong>The Best of the Rest</strong></h1>
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<p id="OVHGkz">Well, a few surprises here. A few that didn’t get drafted and a few that did. Scouts see different things than do the fans. Anyway here they are and now, who signs and who returns for another year of seasoning? That’s stuff for a future post.</p>
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<p id="jkZtlQ"><strong>Aaron Arruda, 1B, Fresno State</strong></p>
<p id="sFPtNM">12th round with the 351st pick by the Athletics. </p>
<p id="iqj3Qf">Good power hitter. Dingers always wanted.</p>
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<p id="1qNCoI"><strong>Jared Adkins, OF, Fresno State</strong></p>
<p id="iBuyUI">13th round with the 376th pick by the Twins.</p>
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<p id="3eYlBe"><strong>Fred Schlichtholz, LHP, Fresno State</strong></p>
<p id="FKDEKJ">13th round with the 378th pick by the Padres</p>
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<p id="9luuIM"><strong>Rickey Ramirez, RHP, Fresno State</strong></p>
<p id="Rembr1">15th round with the 436th pick by the Twins</p>
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<p id="ov5rbF"><strong>Payton Squier, OF, UNLV</strong></p>
<p id="Z7AdZ7">16th round with the 471st pick by the Athletics</p>
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<p id="X6BU4J"><strong>Alan Trejo, SS, SDSU</strong></p>
<p id="CKQQ1N">16thth round with the 476th pick by the Rockies</p>
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<p id="IWD3d2"><strong>Tyler Stevens, RHP, New Mexico</strong></p>
<p id="um6kCC">18th round with the 535th pick by the Angels</p>
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<p id="Gi01b3"><strong>Carl Stajduhar, 3B, New Mexico</strong></p>
<p id="0AArCk">18th round with the 547th pick by the Mets</p>
<p id="jz13GP">One of my favorites and surprised he went so low. He has a decision to make as he’s a junior.</p>
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<p id="9X1G5W"><strong>Ernie De La Trinidad, OF, UNLV</strong></p>
<p id="GWeEN3">19th round with the 562nd pick by the Diamondbacks</p>
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<p id="rpsYn4"><strong>Josh Nashed, RHP, San Jose State</strong></p>
<p id="lPasTp">19th round with the 582nd pick by the Indians</p>
<p id="bd8cxS">Never showed me a lot but had some flashes which the scouts figured was worth a shot.</p>
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<p id="vT5hYz"><strong>Jordan Pearce, 3B, Nevada</strong></p>
<p id="RQyJRc">21st round with the 635th pick by the Tigers</p>
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<p id="xle0mf"><strong>Matt Brown, RHP, San Jose State</strong></p>
<p id="qAuPvY">27th round with the 816th pick by the Giants</p>
<p id="ZqXQSs">I’d heard that he was probably going to sign and, who wouldn’t, as he was drafted by the home town team and the Spartans play in the San Jose Giants park. Doesn’t have far to go if they send him to high A. Unimpressive numbers on an unimpressive team but the opposition BA was .227 which ain’t bad.</p>
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<p id="f6j3DK"><strong>Justin Bridgman, SS, Nevada</strong></p>
<p id="YDz4sG">28th round with the 829th pick by the Rays</p>
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<p id="u8V3vt"><strong>CJ Saylor, RHP, SDSU</strong></p>
<p id="QjyJjD">28th round with the 844th pick by the Cardinals</p>
<p id="rDs56M">A surprise to me being so low but he’s a senior. He might have gone higher as a junior.</p>
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<p id="19YAdT"><strong>Ryan Dobson, OF, Fresno State</strong></p>
<p id="ZUBBkI">30th round with the 892nd pick by the Diamondbacks</p>
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<p id="4Q9MNl"><strong>Austin Guibor, OF, Fresno State</strong></p>
<p id="KAPFjJ">30th round with the 913th pick by the Nationals</p>
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<p id="4LJ5s2"><strong>Jesse Medrano, 3B, Fresno State</strong></p>
<p id="LswUWw">31st round with the 928th pick by the Pirates</p>
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<p id="nPItWd"><strong>Tyler Adkison, OF, San Diego State</strong></p>
<p id="nswgJB">32nd round with the 970th pick by the Dodgers.</p>
<p id="DAEkc5">I thought he’d go a bit higher with his power.</p>
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<p id="8bC2MD"><strong>Justin Jones, 2B, UNLV</strong></p>
<p id="qy7osW">34th round with the 1011th pick by the Athletics</p>
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<p id="QG3lN2"><strong>Marcus Reyes, LHP, San Diego State</strong></p>
<p id="zUCkvg">38th round with the 1149th pick by the Blue Jays</p>
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<p id="FwrXhv">Wow, forty rounds and my eyes glaze over after the first ten. Here are what I consider surprises. First up has to be the shear number from Fresno State. I know Bulldog fans will have comments about that and I don’t want to get into it. San Diego State’s going so low. Same with New Mexico’s Carl Stajduhar. I feel he’s a stud and should thumb his nose at the draft and come back next year and kill MWC pitching. Maybe it was his fielding. </p>
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<p id="WiPLZp">Anyway, enough comments. Now the coaches have to worry about who’s coming back. Of course, drafted seniors are gone in any event. It’s the juniors that worry them the most. I have always felt that a junior should go in the top ten rounds because the money is so good. The lower rounds? Not so much. On the other hand juniors in the lower rounds have a tough decision; can they improve their stats for their senior year that they get a substantially higher pick slot? Good if they do but they no longer have the leverage that another year of college ball to use. Anyway, it’s a tough decision and just the allure of pro ball is enough to sway them. Then there is the living in busses. </p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2017/6/15/15810396/rounds-11-through-40-yield-some-mwc-gemsDon Starks2017-06-14T08:51:08-07:002017-06-14T08:51:08-07:00MWC Has Four Players Drafted in Ten Rounds
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<figcaption>New Mexico’s Jack Zoellner drafted in 9th round | New Mexico Athletics</figcaption>
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<h1 id="cpRPOm"><strong>The Mountain West Through Ten Rounds of the MLB 2017 Draft</strong></h1>
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<p id="6pgxjX">Underwhelming, to say the least. Out of the hundreds of college and high school players drafted, only four came out of the MWC. That ain’t good. We’re talking a little over 300 players. Two pitchers and two position players. Sigh. Let’s see who the final two that were taken yesterday (Tuesday).</p>
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<h3 id="I7mvHs"><strong>Jack Zoellner</strong></h3>
<p id="oAyD8b">New Mexico’s first baseman is a good left-handed hitter and was taken by the Phillies with the the 263rd pick in the 9th round.</p>
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<h3 id="mY1nBL"><strong>Brett Seeburger</strong></h3>
<p id="7cgIFE">San Diego State’s ace was taken by the Cardinals with the 304th pick in the 10th round.</p>
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<p id="Dql5UF">For those of us who felt that the MWC wasn’t much of a force in national, let alone western, college baseball, this is strong evidence why. The talent level in the conference is slim. I’m a little surprised that a few players didn’t get chosen and you can look at a past but recent post to see who I’m talking about. To tell you the truth, any juniors taken from now on should stay in school. I’ve been to minor league games and they’re fun. However, the life of a minor leaguer is not glamorous. Think bus as a way of life for four or more years. Easy for me to say; old fat guy (well, not so fat) sitting at the keyboard cranking out this tripe with my wife wondering when I’m going to vacuum the house and the dog wondering when that promised walk is going to happen. Then there are the weeds. Oh, the weeds. You know, playing baseball and getting paid for it in the low minors doesn’t sound so bad after all.</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2017/6/14/15801456/mwc-has-ten-players-drafted-in-ten-roundsDon Starks2017-06-13T14:58:09-07:002017-06-13T14:58:09-07:00Fresno State’s Ricky Tyler Thomas is Next to be Drafted
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<figcaption>Fresno State’s Thomas will be doing this in the pros soon enough | Rick Dodd</figcaption>
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<h1 id="bq9XFQ"><strong>Bulldog’s Lefty Thomas Picked in Round Seven</strong></h1>
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<p id="p8R6nJ">One of my favorites gets picked in the top ten rounds which I feel are the “go ahead and sign” rounds. Ricky Tyler Thomas had a poor second half of the season but the bigs saw enough to take him fairly high. He went in the seventh round as pick #225 by the Cubs. I think most Fresno State fans had him gone after this year and I agree. He hasn’t signed yet but it should be only a matter of time.</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2017/6/13/15796154/fresno-states-ricky-tyler-thomas-is-next-to-be-draftedDon Starks2017-06-13T13:52:30-07:002017-06-13T13:52:30-07:00New Mexico’s Luis Gonzalez is MWC’s First Pick in MLB Draft
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<figcaption>New Mexico’s Gonzalez first MWC player to be drafted | New Mexico Athletics</figcaption>
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<h1 id="uw8X3E"><strong>Luis Gonzalez Goes in Round Three</strong></h1>
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<p id="TLP2iE">He’s the 87th pick which ain’t bad for a utility player. Now that’s a thinly veiled insult as it really means he can play a multitude of positions but the White Sox drafted him as a CF. He hit .361 with 8 dingers and has speed as 18 steals shows. Speed and power, two good tools for a centerfielder. He’s a junior and I expect he’ll sign as the typical bonus for this slot is in the neighborhood of $636K; wouldn’t you?</p>
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<p id="o6nfEY">More to come.......</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2017/6/13/15795568/new-mexicos-luis-gonzalez-is-mwcs-first-pick-in-mlb-draftDon Starks2017-06-12T14:21:11-07:002017-06-12T14:21:11-07:00First Round of MLB Draft Today - Monday the 12th
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<figcaption>How many Mountain West players will be in this seat for this year’s draft? | Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<h1 id="rVGQ7m"><strong>Mountain West Draft Possibilities</strong></h1>
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<p id="CDXIxn">The MLB draft starts today. I've done this in the past and I've always been, oh, so wrong. But Las Vegas gets rich on this kind of stuff so here I am again. Only the first round or two today and I don’t think any MWC players will show up there. Some will go in later rounds. Remember, the bigs have to fill out those rosters with someone. Read on.</p>
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<h3 id="frfBg3"><strong>New Mexico</strong></h3>
<p id="N0nFwi"><strong>Carl Stajduhar</strong> (.350 and 17)</p>
<p id="eqrrjc">No growth curve here. He's been a solid hitter since he showed up on campus. He's a third baseman and I don't know about his fielding but he did lead the team in errors with 11 which is high for his position but he also had a lot of chances. I still think he'll go pretty high. A first rounder? Um, maybe not.</p>
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<p id="fP8sD7"><strong>Jack Zoellner</strong> (.368 and 12)</p>
<p id="oas8YN">A left handed batter that hits for average as well as power. That's almost expected for a first baseman.</p>
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<p id="lJXTAD"><strong>Tyler Stevens</strong> (7-6 and 4.81)</p>
<p id="ynl5LH">Led the Lobos in strike outs with 102 which was by far the most. I don't see him as a starter in the minors but we'll see. I like the strike outs. </p>
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<h3 id="gc7oYr"><strong>San Diego State</strong></h3>
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<p id="WYywxx"><strong>Tyler Adkison</strong> (.337 and 15)</p>
<p id="vcqnQu">Was third on the team in strike outs with 40 but was the leader with 39 walks. Similar to Brandon Belt of the SF Giants, if you know what I mean. I don't know if that means he had a good eye for the strike zone or if pitchers pitched around him. A little on the short side but he still could hit the long ball. He seemed to come out of nowhere in my way of thinking.</p>
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<p id="TGmEOC"><strong>CJ Saylor</strong> (3-0 and 2.45 with 13 saves)</p>
<p id="fN3lwN">The premier closer in the Mountain West with 51 strike outs in 40 IP. What's not to like?</p>
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<h3 id="Wz5dXL"><strong>Fresno State</strong></h3>
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<p id="0s1ZOr"><strong>Aaron Arruda</strong> (.373 and 15)</p>
<p id="VzAJED">The leading hitter on the team as well as the long ball. He has good size at 6'3" and 220 and that always catches the eye. </p>
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<p id="CuY7ky"><strong>Ricky Tyler Thomas</strong> (8-4 and 4.86)</p>
<p id="yk5KCG">This guy turned into an enigma. He was a preseason AA on numerous lists and he started out the season to back up that praise. However, his second half was, in a word, horrid. I don't know what happened and it could have been an injury or a tired arm. Either way, what happened? A lefty who can strike out (100) people always catches scouts' eyes. </p>
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<h3 id="LFFJlu"><strong>Nevada</strong></h3>
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<p id="NeADYb"><strong>Mike Echavia</strong> (.307 and 9)</p>
<p id="XEdM5f">He hit pretty well on an otherwise BA challenged team; especially the home runs. </p>
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<h3 id="Q6Wwvr"><strong>Air Force</strong></h3>
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<p id="scn4LS"><strong>Ryan Holloway</strong> (3-2 and 3.83)</p>
<p id="kpU0zI">I want you to notice the ERA. We're talking Air Force here and I think that's outstanding for a team with an ERA of 7.58. He also had 54 strike outs in 47 IP. So, a good pitcher for a team and an area that doesn't spawn many. Hmm, he's worth it.</p>
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<p id="stM7Yz"><strong>Tyler Jones</strong> (.359 and 14)</p>
<p id="z4EPh2">Tyler has been hitting a ton since getting freshman AA accolades back a few years. He led the team in RBI's as well as slugging percentage. A good one.</p>
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<h3 id="NNaECx"><strong>UNLV</strong></h3>
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<p id="CMcv0I"><strong>Ernie De La Trinidad</strong> (.361 and 7)</p>
<p id="uWNvnf">First a weird stat. He was hit by pitches 19 times. Hugged the plate or the pitchers really liked to pitch him inside. Next most on the team was 5. </p>
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<p id="RGcXvP"><strong>Justin Jones</strong> (.360 and 9)</p>
<p id="xEvCD9">Good offensive numbers</p>
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<h3 id="LYDlhH">San Jose State</h3>
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<p id="TQNDo2"><strong>Shane Timmons</strong> (.304 and 10)</p>
<p id="h69vNV">I only have one player that would get interest from the bigs and that's Shane Timmons. He was, by far, the biggest threat at bat for the Spartans. He had little help surrounding him in the lineup and those are things scouts look for. He has really improved from last year so that's only one year to look at. I've said before that I believe one more year would be better for him.</p>
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https://www.mwcconnection.com/2017/6/12/15787208/first-round-of-mlb-draft-today-monday-the-12thDon Starks2017-06-07T17:00:30-07:002017-06-07T17:00:30-07:00Any Mid-Major Baseball Teams Left?
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<img alt="Atlanta Braves v San Francisco Giants" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Xu4SxoMfovFkMTXdpCfuYAQMNlQ=/0x1:3000x2001/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55148301/475197290.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>I know, Steph Curry’s at a Giants game but, do you think he’s paying attention to Davidson baseball now? | Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<h1 id="lSrND7"><strong>One Bid Conferences in Super Regionals</strong></h1>
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<p id="bVR1zt">If you read my rant, I mean article, on the one-bid conferences in the tournament, then you might be interested to know I was proved wrong on at least one count. The Davidson Wildcats have shown the undeserving can move on and in a big way. They were the sixth place team in Atlantic-10 and in no way should have been in that regional. Look what they did. They knocked off the number two team in the nation, twice, at home to move on to a super regional. Can you see that happening in football? Me neither. Basketball? Upon occasion. </p>
<p id="Yp8NZw">How about the other teams that I wrote about? Well, let's see.</p>
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<h3 id="hgMHKr"><strong>UMBC</strong></h3>
<p id="zTCIm5">They lost both of their regional games.</p>
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<h3 id="BL6GmC"><strong>Sacramento State</strong></h3>
<p id="ZatSfG">They lost both of their regional games.</p>
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<h3 id="a9HzzK"><strong>BYU</strong></h3>
<p id="ahscBm">Won the second game in an elimination round but lost their second to Stanford.</p>
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<h3 id="x9RevL"><strong>South Alabama</strong></h3>
<p id="R8Uy54">They won their opening game but lost the next two to be eliminated.</p>
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<h3 id="hIOOuL"><strong>Oral Roberts</strong></h3>
<p id="68t9QJ">The Golden Eagles were eliminated by Arkansas but made some noise by eliminating Oklahoma State in a loser’s bracket game. </p>
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<h3 id="xXBHSg"><strong>Texas Southern</strong></h3>
<p id="VX3GST">Lost both their games to LSU and Rice and they weren’t close.</p>
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<h3 id="7yD2lL">UNCG</h3>
<p id="H1V5aL">Won one game but were competitive in all games.</p>
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<h3 id="aKN4jy"><strong>Holy Cross</strong></h3>
<p id="qPks8W">Didn’t stink up the joint as they beat Nebraska in an elimination game but lost to Yale and Oregon State (no shame there). </p>
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<h3 id="ZC3P9J"><strong>Tennessee Tech</strong></h3>
<p id="P4n4Gl">They surprised Florida State in their opening game but then lost the next two to bow out.</p>
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<h3 id="2lJ6CG"><strong>Central Connecticut</strong></h3>
<p id="bp9pAx">They lost both their games but weren’t embarrassed. Did you know their mascot is the Blue Devils? Neither did I.</p>
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<h3 id="0Ee12N"><strong>Bethune-Cookman</strong></h3>
<p id="XmZxHR">Bless their pea-pickin’ hearts as they made it to final elimination round but lost to #4 Florida. Good showing.</p>
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<h3 id="ba0GjK"><strong>Ohio</strong></h3>
<p id="KRp7hK">Lost both their games and at least one of which I think they should have won. They lost to Kentucky and Indiana.</p>
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<h3 id="Ygcefh"><strong>Marist</strong></h3>
<p id="akOAVD">Went to Florida for two days and then went home - two losses.</p>
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<h3 id="2jTpHU"><strong>Yale</strong></h3>
<p id="aL2xZP">They went 2-2 in their regional which ain’t bad as they beat Nebraska (which lost to both Yale and Holy Cross in an embarrassing showing) and Holy Cross but lost to Oregon State twice in games that weren’t close. Oh well, two wins to brag about.</p>
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<h3 id="taIH0V"><strong>Illinois-Chicago</strong></h3>
<p id="rnBbHn">They lost both of their games but were eliminated in a close one with Mississippi State, 5-4. </p>
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<h3 id="VGLjyM">Delaware</h3>
<p id="StPPo8">Lost two close games to Texas Tech (5-2) and Arizona (6-5 in 12 innings). They represented. The Blue Hens possess one of the better mascot names in college sports. </p>
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<h3 id="C45Y1I"><strong>Radford</strong></h3>
<p id="mX0xyU">Lost both their games. How many noticed that my original article had it Redford, as in Robert Redford. Yup, spell check knows so much more than I do. </p>
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<h3 id="BDd9Ip"><strong>FGCU</strong></h3>
<p id="grPS8e">Lost to #2 North Carolina in an elimination game. They lost their first game to Davidson which was considered an upset until the Davidson team beat North Carolina in the deciding game. </p>
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<h3 id="9Nw6dw"><strong>Davidson</strong></h3>
<p id="XTFXjO">Here’s what I said about Davidson: </p>
<p id="r0IC2z">Thirteen teams with Steph Curry's old stomping grounds the sixth place (6th!?) finisher. No team really stood up in the conference but the top teams were mostly over .500. Sixth place? Come ON! No wonder they get #2 North Carolina. Good luck. Two Carolina teams going at it? Could be interesting. </p>
<p id="pta1Iz">Interesting indeed. Shows you what anyone can say about another team. You never know. They take on Texas A&M in a Super Regional.</p>
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<p id="ZE13NS">Here are some other results that concern the mid-major: </p>
<p id="138Cf4"><strong>Sam Houston State</strong> beats #5 Texas Tech in the Lubbock Regional to move on to a super regional (Tallahassee). They won three in a row in the losers’ bracket which is tough assignment.</p>
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<p id="nBcUdn"><strong>Dallas Baptist</strong> beats #13 Virginia in the Forth Worth Regional but was eliminated by TCU in the final. Still, a good showing by a very good team.</p>
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<p id="jeOyeS"><strong>Missouri State</strong> beats Arkansas to move on. In fact, they had to take two of three from the Razorbacks to move on. Oh yeah!</p>
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<p id="ayG6FN"><strong>Long Beach State</strong> beats Texas in the final game so SDSU losing to LB doesn’t look so bad after all, does it?</p>
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<p id="L8QxJv">So how many teams in a super regional that area considered mid-majors? Long Beach State, Missouri State, Dallas Baptist, Sam Houston State, and Davidson. That’s five teams which ain’t bad but could have been better. Now the problem of depth will start to rear its ugly head. It’s hard to root against any of these teams but Davidson certainly has to have the heart strings of the nation in its grasp. I think super regionals start Friday.</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2017/6/7/15760014/any-mid-major-baseball-teams-left-ncaa-d1-baseball-tournament-super-regionalDon Starks2017-06-05T13:04:04-07:002017-06-05T13:04:04-07:00San Diego State’s season comes to an end
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<p>Aztecs Season Ended as they lose to the 49ers</p> <p id="Z2Yt5S">The San Diego State baseball team nearly made it all the way to the finals as they rose from the losers bracket to confront the team that had put them there in the first place. It was not to be the Aztecs year to move on to a super regional as they lost 7-4 to Long Beach State which moves on to a super regional.</p>
<p id="TOMWjh">The extra-base hit had pretty much eluded the Aztecs in the games they played in Long Beach. They had one double in the previous games but had a first inning two-run home run from Danny Sheehan to give the Aztecs a brief 2-0 lead. They could have used some of what Tyler Adkison had provided most of the year; pop. He was pretty much held in check in all the games. The Dirtbags tied it in the top of the second and went ahead 5-2 by the fourth inning and were never headed. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SDSUBaseball">@SDSUBaseball</a>'s runs at the NCAA Long Beach Regional comes to a close with a 7-4 loss to the host Dirtbags. Great season boys! <a href="https://t.co/CJf78pr2Zv">pic.twitter.com/CJf78pr2Zv</a></p>— GoAztecs (@GoAztecs) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoAztecs/status/871522630947356672">June 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="cuaDXu">The top three in the Dirtbag lineup were responsible for seven of the 13 hits and I think that was the reason they won. Keep the top of the lineup off the bases and your chances vastly improve. It didn't happen here.I also believe a pitching staff that had run out of gas was a culprit. That, in itself, is the big difference between the mid-major and a big boy; depth. </p>
<p id="MilhRU">San Diego State can take this home with them. They were there and probably expect to be there next year also. Let's all hope that the Mountain West improves to a point where two teams are chosen. And, how about those Wildcats of Davidson!!! Only three players on scholarship take out the #2 team in the nation on their home field. I think they are the official Cinderella for this year. May they win it all. </p>
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https://www.mwcconnection.com/mountain-west-baseball/2017/6/5/15742336/ncaa-tournament-san-diego-state-eliminated-by-long-beach-stateDon Starks2017-06-04T09:22:53-07:002017-06-04T09:22:53-07:00San Diego State gets rematch with LBSU
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<p>Aztecs Get to Play Another Day</p> <p id="zayDrh">In an elimination game with UCLA, the San Diego State baseball team beat the Bruins in 13 innings, 3-2. The game lacked for offense (14 total hits) but not for drama as extra inning games when the loser goes home never do. P</p>
<p id="apQAq5">itching, especially the pen, game up nails as their excellent closer, CJ Saylor got the win. Closers usually go an inning or less but not this time. CJ went 4 2/3 inning in posting the victory (3-0) with four strikeouts. </p>
<p id="mDHvWT">Saylor came in to pitch with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied. This is especially bad because even an out can score the winning run and end the season. He got the two outs without letting the ball out of the infield so coach may have said you're our best, finish it out. </p>
<p id="fCqtDl">Overall, the pitching made the game interesting (wrong word?) for the Aztecs as they issued eight walks along with the eight hits. Another oddity is that there was only one extra base hit in the game; a double by the Bruins' Michael Toglia. That means a compounded oddity, at least to me. </p>
<p id="ZMLXPt">I believe in the two games in which the Aztecs have been involved (take that English teachers), only one extra base hit. You like pitching? The Aztecs are doing it.</p>
<p id="Cv0JgN">The Aztecs will now face Long Beach State in another elimination game as the Dirtbags were beaten yesterday 5-3 by Texas. The Longhorns await the winner.</p>
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<p id="55HHBP">Here are the highlights and post game interviews after Saturday’s win over San Diego State.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SDSUBaseball">@SDSUBaseball</a> moves on in the NCAA Long Beach Regionals with a 3-2, 13-inning win over UCLA. The Aztecs play again tomorrow at 1pm. <a href="https://t.co/NAnTftNdLQ">pic.twitter.com/NAnTftNdLQ</a></p>— GoAztecs (@GoAztecs) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoAztecs/status/871188156833341440">June 4, 2017</a>
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https://www.mwcconnection.com/2017/6/4/15736962/ncaa-tournament-san-diego-state-long-beach-state-road-to-omahaDon Starks2017-06-03T14:14:27-07:002017-06-03T14:14:27-07:00San Diego State is now facing elimination
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<p>Aztecs Run Out of Magic in Game One</p> <p id="VqWDmO">I don't know if it was the national stage, the close to 3,000 people in the stands, or Long Beach's Dave Smith but San Diego State didn't score a run in losing to the Dirtbags, 6-0. Dave Smith threw the complete game shutout as he puts his team against Texas and San Diego State faces UCLA in the loser's bracket. That will be a stern test also.</p>
<p id="K9Tozq">Smith held the Aztecs to five hits and only Alan Trejo had more than one hit. An odd stat showed no extra base hits for either team. The Dirtbags got to Brett Seeburger early with three runs in the first and that says enough. </p>
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<p id="ZZ1exI">Smith walked only one and struck out only one. In baseball parlance, he must have been paintin'. For certain, he didn't break much of a sweat nor was he put in any worrisome situations. You have to hand it to Smith, he deserved this one. If they beat UCLA, that will be a sweet win for the MWC. </p>
<p id="ooCJhU">Did you hear about Davidson's win over No. 2 North Carolina? Wow! You can read an excellent article by Aaron Fitt on <a href="https://d1baseball.com/postseason/fitt-davidson-slays-goliath/">d1baseball.com</a> about the game. </p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/mountain-west-baseball/2017/6/3/15735402/san-diego-state-long-beach-state-final-scoreDon Starks