College baseball: UC Irvine batters Fresno State in regional opener

Fresno State pitcher Greg Gonzalez took I’m-invincible-like numbers to the mound in the NCAA regional opener Friday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Before the first inning was over, UC Irvine had made him look painfully mortal in a 12-6 victory.

The Anteaters (40-16) scored five runs in the top of the first inning, three on a home run by Jordan Leyland. Gonzalez had an 11-0 record and a 1.43 earned-run average during the regular season. He had given up  only 23 runs in 15 starts. Irvine scored 10 runs -- five unearned -- before Gonzalez was pulled with two outs in the fourth inning, his shortest outing of the season.

“There were a couple times where he had to get four or five outs in innings,” Fresno State Coach Mike Batesole said. “That wasn’t him. We weren’t as neat and clean as we usually are in the field.”

Gonzalez was culpable even there. He made two of the Bulldogs’ four errors, one gave the Anteaters a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Leyland, the next batter, then homered, with the ball glancing off right fielder Dusty Robinson’s glove.

Leyland also had a two-run single in Irvine’s four-run fifth inning. The Anteaters finished with 15 hits. Ronnie Shaeffer had two hits and drove in three runs.

“We got some breaks, for which we are eternally grateful,” Irvine Coach Mike Gillespie said. “But we had 15 hits and 10 of them were hit right on the screws.”

Irvine’s Matt Summers, who throw a no-hitter against Long Beach State in his last game, went seven innings, giving up only one earned run. Summers (11-2) had a streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings snapped in the third inning. He struck out six batters in winning his ninth consecutive game.

“The no-hitter was nice,” Summers said, “but I was really excited about this game. It was my first postseason start. The guys went out and got five runs. That made it a lot easier.”

-- Chris Foster

Photo: UC Irvine's Jordan Leyland, who had five RBIs, heads to the dugout after scoring a run in the fifth inning against Fresno State on Friday afternoon. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / US Presswire

College baseball: UCLA draws familiar foe in NCAA baseball tournament

UCLA's baseball team begins the postseason where its regular season started -- at home against San Francisco.

The Bruins (33-22) are scheduled to play the Dons (31-23) at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday. UC Irvine (39-16) and Fresno State (40-14) are to play in the regional's other game.

Cal State Fullerton (40-15), which also hosts a regional, is set to play Illinois (28-25) on Friday at Titan Field. Kansas State (36-23) is to play Stanford (32-20) in that regional's other game.

UCLA began the season as the top-ranked team in the nation and swept San Francisco in the opening series without allowing an earned run in the three games. The Bruins labored offensively during the season but captured the Pacific 10 Conference title by winning eight of their last nine games.

For the first time since the NCAA tournament was expanded to 64 teams, the West does not have a team seeded in the top eight. Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, defending champion South Carolina, Florida State, Vanderbilt, Texas and Rice are the top eight teams.

-- Chris Foster

 

College baseball: UCLA, Cal State Fullerton will host NCAA regionals

UCLA and Cal State Fullerton were among the 16 schools awarded NCAA baseball regionals on Sunday.

UCLA clinched at least a share of the Pacific 10 conference title with a victory over Arizona State on Saturday. The Bruins, who finished second to South Carolina at the College World Series last season, hosted a regional and super regional in 2010.

Pac-10 teams will host three regionals: Arizona State and Oregon State were also awarded bids.

Fullerton, the Big West Conference champion, has hosted a regional the last four seasons and seven times in the last eight. The Titans lost to UCLA in the super regional in 2010.

South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Clemson, Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Florida, Rice, Vanderbilt and Florida State will also host regionals, which run June 3-6.

The 64-team tournament field will be announced Monday. The eight super regionals will be announced on June 6. The College World Series begins on June 18.

--Chris Foster

Photo: UCLA's Tyler Rahmatulla celebrates his two-run home run in the ninth inning as he rounds first base behind Cal State Fullerton's Nick Ramirez during last season's NCAA super regional. Credit: Chris Carlson / Associated Press

Matt Summers throws no-hitter for UC Irvine

What a season it has been for UC Irvine pitcher Matt Summers. He threw the fourth no-hitter in Irvine school history on Friday night, beating Long Beach State, 2-0.

The junior right-hander is 10-2 on the season with a 1.74 ERA. He's 8-0 in Big West Conference play.  He made 105 pitches, striking five and walking one.

It was the first time Long Beach State has been no-hit in a nine-inning game.

-- Eric Sondheimer

UCLA moves into first-place tie in Pac-10 with win over Arizona State

UCLA hasn't been providing very much run support for pitcher Gerrit Cole in recent weeks, but the Bruins got 12 hits Friday night in Tempe and came away with a 10-3 victory over Arizona State to pull into a first-place tie in the Pacific 10 baseball race.

With Oregon State losing to Oregon, 4-1, UCLA (32-21, 17-8) is tied with the Beavers for first place. Arizona State is one game behind.

Cole (6-7) struck out nine batters in eight innings. Pat Valaika, Cody Regis and Steve Rodriguez each had two RBIs in the first of a three-game series that ends the regular season.

-- Eric Sondheimer

 

USC baseball assistant Tom House announces retirement from coaching

Former major league pitcher Tom House, a USC assistant for four seasons, on Tuesday announced his retirement from coaching, effective after Sunday's final game.

House, who played for USC in 1967 under legendary coach Rod Dedeaux, joined the Trojans' staff under former coach Chad Kreuter, who was fired last August. Frank Cruz, who served this season as interim coach, was named full-time coach last week.

"This was the most rewarding coaching experience of my career," House said in a statement. "I was trying in a small way to do for these kids what Rod Dedeaux did for me here. It was extremely fulfilling."

USC entered Tuesday's game against Pepperdine 22-29 overall and 12-12 in the Pacific 10 Conference. The Trojans play a three-game home series against Washington State this weekend.

House gained fame on April 8, 1974, when, as a member of the Atlanta Braves, he caught Hank Aaron's 715th home run, the one that broke Babe Ruth's all-time record, in the bullpen. USC said House would "focus his attention on the RDRBI (Rod Dedeaux Research and Baseball Institute) and serve as a non-coaching Life Skills Advisor to the USC program."

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--Gary Klein

Photo: David Thompson (left) warms up with some pitches during his visit with renowned pitching coach Tom House at Dedeaux Field on the USC campus on August 3, 2010. Credit: Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times

UCLA set to make final push for Pac-10 baseball title

There's a three-way competition for first place entering the final weekend of Pacific 10 Conference baseball action. Oregon State (38-14, 17-7) has a one-game lead over UCLA (31-20, 16-8) and Arizona State (38-14, 16-8).

UCLA plays at Arizona State in a three-game series beginning Friday. Oregon State plays at Oregon. All three Pac-10 leaders appear in good shape for NCAA playoff berths. California (30-18, 13-11), which was scheduled to drop its baseball program after this season until reversing itself, is in fourth place and could earn an NCAA berth with a win or two against Stanford this weekend.

UCLA was the preseason favorite but has struggled at times with its hitting. The Bruins have received strong pitching from starters Trevor Bauer (11-2, 1.37 ERA) and freshman Adam Plutko (6-3, 1.70). They are still hoping Gerrit Cole (5-7, 3.27) can regain his top form in time for the playoffs.

In the Big West Conference, Cal State Fullerton (37-14, 17-4) has a two-game lead over UC Irvine (37-14, 15-6). Fullerton plays a three-game series at Cal State Northridge. UC Irvine hosts Long Beach State.

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UCLA's Tyler Rahmatulla suspended, out for rest of baseball season

Talk about pressure -- who's going to replace Al Scates at UCLA?

-- Eric Sondheimer

Photo: Trevor Bauer. Credit: Chris Carlson / Associated Press

USC names Frank Cruz full-time baseball coach

Frank Cruz, who has been working this season as interim head baseball coach for USC, has been given the job full time, Athletic Director Pat Haden announced Thursday.

Cruz, 51, was a volunteer assistant at USC in 2009 and 2010. He succeeded Chad Kreuter, who was fired last August after USC finished 28-32 overall and 7-20 in the Pacific 10 Conference, which put the Trojans in last place. The Trojans were 111-117 in four seasons under Kreuter and finished no higher than fifth in the Pac-10.

Under Cruz, USC is 20-28 overall and 10-11 in the Pac-10 with six conference games remaining. The Trojans are two games out of fourth place.

Last week USC won a series against Arizona State for the first time since 2004.

UCLA's Tyler Rahmatulla suspended, out for rest of baseball season

Junior second baseman Tyler Rahmatulla of UCLA, an All-Pac-10 selection last season, has been suspended for the rest of the 2011 season because of "academic issues," a school spokesman said Tuesday.

Rahmatulla, a Santa Ana Mater Dei graduate, has not played since March 27.

He has been replaced in the Bruins' lineup by freshman Kevin Williams.

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-- Eric Sondheimer

Photo: Tyler Rahmatulla celebrates after scoring on March 4. Credit: Nati Harnik / Associated Press

Excitement builds for Trevor Bauer

One of the hottest pitchers in college baseball, UCLA's Trevor Bauer, makes his next appearance on the mound on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Stadium against first-place Oregon State in a Pacific 10 Conference game.

UCLA's tiny press box probably isn't big enough to hold the media contingent expected to show up to see Bauer, who leads the nation in strikeouts with 127 and has an 8-1 record and 1.42 ERA.

He struck out 17 in his last outing against Stanford.

Oregon State is 30-8 overall and 10-2 in the conference. UCLA is in third place at 22-14 overall and 10-5 in conference. The three-game series begins on Friday at 6 p.m.

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Trevor Bauer strikes out 17 in UCLA's win over Stanford

-- Eric Sondheimer

Photo: Trevor Bauer. Credit: Chris Carlson / Associated Press

Trevor Bauer strikes out 17 in UCLA's win over Stanford

The best pitcher in college baseball right now could be UCLA junior Trevor Bauer, who tied a career high with 17 strikeouts on Friday in a 4-1 win at Stanford.

Bauer leads the nation in strikeouts with 127 and has recorded at least 10 strikeouts in nine of his 10 starts this season. He improved his record to 8-1 with a four-hitter and has a 1.42 earned-run average.

UCLA is 21-13 overall and 10-4 in the Pacific 10.

-- Eric Sondheimer

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Photo: UCLA starter Trevor Bauer. Credit: Chris Carlson / Associated Press