SB Nation Recent College Posts

DTN Daily Diatribe | Texas Tech News, Notes and Links | 2012-05-26

Seth C, Double-T Nation — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:55:38 -0000

MEMORIAL DAY | Oliver Wendell Holmes:

So to the indifferent inquirer who asks why Memorial Day is still kept up we may answer, it celebrates and solemnly reaffirms from year to year a national act of enthusiasm and faith. It embodies in the most impressive form our belief that to act with enthusiasm and faith is the condition of acting greatly. To fight out a war, you must believe something and want something with all your might. So must you do to carry anything else to an end worth reaching. More than that, you must be willing to commit yourself to a course, perhaps a long and hard one, without being able to foresee exactly where you will come out. All that is required of you is that you should go somewhither as hard as ever you can. The rest belongs to fate. One may fall-at the beginning of the charge or at the top of the earthworks; but in no other way can he reach the rewards of victory.

Totally Texas Tech with yet another set of campus photos from a quiet campus.

TENNIS | Unfortunately Gonzalo Escobar lost in the Sweet 16 in the singles NCAA Championships, but Escobar and Raony Carvalho won yesterday and advanced to the doubles NCAA Championships. This is nothing short of amazing. I was emailed this Raider Power episode about the tennis program and if you ever wondered if all of the other Texas Tech teams have rivalries with the Big 12 Conference mates and if they are proud of Texas Tech, then this is the video for you.

GOLF Congrats to Kim Kaufman and Gabby Dominguez for finishing in the top ten in the individual NCAA Championships.

BASEBALL | Twenty baseball players earned part of the Academic Honor Roll . Congrats!

FOOTBALL | Head coach Tommy Tuberville was on Double T 104.3 yesterday and talked a little bit about expansion and also said that DT Leon Mackey is up to 275 to 280 and that he is really excited about S/LB/DE Pete Robertson at defensive end. Give it a listen.

2012 Countdown To Kickoff: 97 Days

ccmachine, Crimson And Cream Machine — Sat, 26 May 2012 06:16:36 -0000

#97 - Senior defensive tackle Jamarkus McFarland

UCLA Continues Crosstown Rivalry Dominance With 3-1 Win Over USC

Ryan Rosenblatt, Bruins Nation — Sat, 26 May 2012 05:10:46 -0000

UCLA has owned USC ever since John Savage took over in Westwood. The Bruins entered Friday with 16 wins in their last 21 against the Trojans and having not lost the season series against their crosstown rivals in the last six years. Make that 17 of their last 22 and seven years. The Bruins beat the Trojans, 3-1, on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium to continue their dominance over USC and, thanks to an Oregon St. win over Oregon, move within a game of first place Oregon and Arizona in the Pac-12.

With the offense taking the night off, it was the pitching that had to come through for the Bruins and it did. Adam Plutko wasn't his sharpest in walking five, but he was still very effective and picked up the win to improve to 9-3. The sophomore allowed just one run on four hits and has now given up one run or fewer in each of his last four outings. Rubber arm David Berg and Ryan Deeter each struck out one in a perfect inning apiece and Scott Griggs withstood some wildness to pick up his 15th save of the season.

The UCLA offense totaled just seven hits on the game and six of those came from three players. Beau Amaral had two hits, two RBI and a run scored to lead the way and Pat Valaika and Cody Regis had two hits and a run each to make up almost all of the Bruin offense. Cody Keefer added the last hit and a RBI, but the offense was quiet and only really seemed to get something going when they got one of their six walks. Still, it was enough as the Bruins moved a step closer to a national seed and possible defense of their conference title.

Plutko found himself in trouble in the first inning and it would be a theme the rest of the way. He surrendered a single to start the ballgame and a sacrifice bunt move the Trojan into scoring position, but Plutko got USC's number three and four hitters out to end the inning. Three more men reached in the second inning for Plutko, but Tyler Heineman threw out two of them trying to stealing to keep the Bruins from falling behind.

All of the offense that UCLA would need came in the second inning. Valaika walked and Regis singled to put two on, then Kevin Kramer walked with two outs to load the bases. That brought up Amaral, who took a first pitch ball before dropping a base hit into right field. Valaika and Regis came around to score and the Bruins had themselves a 2-0 lead.

USC continued to put pressure on Plutko in the third and finally scored with some small ball. After consecutive singles put men on the corners wit nobody out, the Trojans executed a textbook safety squeeze to score a man and the UCLA lead was cut in half. A walk followed so the tying run was on second and the go-ahead run on first, but a pair of fly outs got Plutko out of the inning.

After an easy fourth inning, USC almost scored again in the fifth, albeit with some help from UCLA. A one-out error put a man on base then with two outs, Plutko left a pitch up. The Trojans took advantage with a good drive into the left center field gap that looked like it could score a run, but Keefer went deep into the gap and made a fine running catch to end the inning.

Naturally, Plutko allowed a man into scoring position in his sixth and final inning as well, but as was the case with most of the night, he worked his way out of it. When Berg came on in the seventh, he worked an easy 1-2-3 frame that seemed almost foreign to the Bruins at that point.

The Bruins' offense did wake up some in the seventh inning and give the bullpen a bit of a cushion. Amaral walked to start the inning and Heineman bunted him over so when Keefer pulled a low liner through the right side, Amaral was able to race around and score for a 3-1 UCLA lead.

Deeter made things easy in the eighth, but Griggs had himself a rocky ninth. After a quick strikeout of the lead off man, Griggs allowed a soft infield single and all of a sudden, he lost his command. He walked the next man on four pitches to bring the tying run to the plate. He didn't look particularly comfortable after that, going to full counts on the next two batters, but he got both looking to end the several potential heart attacks in the stands and seal up another UCLA win over USC.

The Bruins now sit at 40-14 on the season and 18-10 in the Pac-12. Oregon and Arizona lead the conference at 19-9 and UCLA is one game out of first place. Stanford and Arizona St. are a game behind UCLA with two games left in the regular season for all teams.

NCAA Softball Super Regional 2012: Sun Devil HR Barrage Powers Way To Berth In Women's College World Series

Brad Denny, House Of Sparky — Sat, 26 May 2012 06:08:51 -0000

Over the course of the first two games of this Super Regional, the defending champion Arizona State Sun Devils had been a tale of two teams.

In Game 1, their ace Dallas Escobedo continued her career-long struggles against Louisiana-Lafayette, surrendering six runs while Ragin' Cajun freshman Jordan Wallace tossed a complete game shutout that completely stymied the Sun Devil lineup.

Facing a do-or-die in Game 2, ASU's lineup sprung to life and punished Ashley Brignac, crushing four home runs while Hillary Bach held ULL to just one earned run in the Sun Devils' 9-2 win.

Now with a Women's College World Series bid on the line, Escobedo would once again face off against Wallace in Game 3. Could Wallace cool off the Devils' resurrected attack, or would the Sun Devil freight train to Oklahoma City and the WCWC be too strong to stop?

The answers came quickly and decisively. In a mercy rule shortened game, they had to.

After Escobedo registered a pair of strikeouts in a sharp first inning, Alix Johnson ended Wallace's shutout streak on just her sixth pitch, launching a majestic home run over the right field fence to give ASU the early 1-0 lead. The power was in ample supply, as the next batter--Haley Steele--crushed another home run that bounced off the scoreboard in left field for a 2-0 blitz on Wallace.

The slugging did not relent in the second inning. Elizabeth Caporuscio launched a two-run jack to straightaway center to extend the lead to 4-0. A few quiet innings passed before Johnson struck again. After Talor Haro singled, Katelyn Boyd notched a double before Johnson's crushed her second homer of the game to make it 7-0.

With the early blitzkrieg taking care of the needed offense, Escobedo's redemption unfolded in dominating fashion. Showing greater control and working the lower parts of the strike zone, she confounded the No. 1 ranked offense in the country for the first five innings, holding them to just a pair of hits, while striking out six.

However, the Cajuns fought back in the sixth inning to make it interesting. They loaded the bases with no outs for the nation's leader in RBI, Christi Ogeron. However, Escobedo got her to pop up to third base, then struck out Matte Haack before Brianna Cherry gave the fans a skipped heart beat on a long drive that ultimately was caught by Caporuscio.

The Sun Devils then did the merciful thing and ended the game with the mercy rule. Haro reached with a single, and was advanced to third for Steele, who promptly fired off the game winning single.

This will be Arizona State's 10th ever trip to the WCWS, which will begin on Thursday May 31st. Stay tuned to House of Sparky for full coverage.

Follow me on Twitter @BDenny29 and Like House of Sparky on Facebook

Poll

Will ASU repeat as national champions?

Northwestern lacrosse beats Maryland, will meet Syracuse in championship

Herman, Sippin' On Purple — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:39:58 -0000

It was, as expected, a tightly fought game, and Northwestern came away with a 9-7 win over Maryland in the semifinals of the NCAA women's lacrosse championship. For Sunday's final (7 p.m. CT, ESPNU), NU will face Syracuse, which did the Wildcats a favor by upsetting NU-kryptonite Florida in double OT, in a fantastic game. The Wildcats, lest you need reminding, will be going for their seventh national title in eight years. Syracuse will be in the final for its first time.

Against Maryland, after trailing 6-4, NU scored four straight goals to take control of the game with 16:19 left. Maryland would score with 13:37 left to close to 8-7, but that would be it for the Terrapins. Taylor Thornton chipped in an insurance empty net goal for the Wildcats for the final margin. Thornton scored two goals, including the game winner, but many of Northwestern's goals came from unexpected sources.

Leading scorer Shannon Smith was content to be a playmaker, with a team-leading four assists. Senior midfield Jessica Russo scored twice, and senior defender Alex Frank scored just her second goal on the year early in the game. The other NU goals came from Lacey Vigmostad, Kara Mupo and Amanda Macaluso. Brianne LoManto came up with several fine clutch saves.

For Maryland, Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Katie Schwarzmann scored a hat trick, but the NU defense effectively shut down the Terrapins' high flying offense, thanks to some effective stalling techniques after winning draws. The Wildcats held Maryland to 15 shots, half of their season average.

In the other semifinal, No. 4 seed Syracuse amazingly battled back from a seven-goal deficit to beat No. 1 seed Florida, 14-13. Sarah Holden scored her fourth goal of the game in the second OT period for the Orange victory, after Florida had a goal in the first OT disallowed because, shades of Marty McSorely in the 1993 Stanley Cup finals, it was scored with an illegal stick.

NU and Syracuse met in the Wildcats' third game of the season, with NU winning 11-9 in OT.The Orange are 19-3 overall and went a perfect 8-0 in the Big East regular season before losing the conference tournament championship game to Loyola.

Syracuse is led offensively by Alyssa Murray, who has scored 70 goals, and Michelle Tumolo, who has scored 48. In goal, Alyssa Constantino has an 8.19 GAA.

Another NCAA Record Falls in the Year of the Bear

Mark C. Moore, Our Daily Bears — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:14:26 -0000

We should have known when Baylor's 2011-2012 athletic season began with a thrilling Friday night victory over TCU on national television that this year was going to be special. A 10-win football campaign capped by a Heisman Trophy, a school record for MBB wins en route to our second Elite 8 ever, a dominant 40-0 WBB run to a national championship and national player of the year award, and a Big 12 Championship-winning, regional-hosting baseball team later, we finally know how special. Today's 11-2 victory over Kansas State by Steve Smith and company in the Big 12 Tournament was the 124th victory of the year for Baylor's Big 4 programs, breaking the record previously set by Texas in the 2003-2004 season. That makes this year not only the best in Baylor athletic history but also the best for any school ever across the four major sports. 124-24. A winning percentage of .838 ... and our baseball team isn't even done yet!

Things like this didn't happen when I was in school. When I was there we lost football games to Army, UNT, and UAB (twice). Our basketball team only played half a season once because of a scandal that nearly scourged our program from the Earth. We deserved (almost) every insult and dismissive comment thrown at us because we couldn't compete. It was embarrassing. We were the "scrubby little Baylor" the nation believed us to be. Aside from the first national championship in our WBB program's history and a memorable baseball run to the CWS, our athletic department was in ashes.

That was then; the Year of the Bear is now.

This year, every single Baylor team playing a sport that has a postseason made it. All 4 major sports will likely end their seasons ranked in the top 12 (FB: 12, MBB: 8, WBB: 1, BB: currently 6). More Baylor players (5) were drafted this year than any other school in Texas, with 2 going in the first 20 picks and Robert Griffin III selected second overall by the Washington Redskins. 60% of our starting roster against Kentucky will be drafted by the NBA, 2 of them likely in the first 20 picks again. Baylor is the only team in the country to win a bowl game and put teams in the Elite 8 (MBB) and Final 4 (WBB). Our fans set home average attendance records in FB (41,368), MBB (7,914), WBB (8,563) and SB (1,014). I could go on and on.

Despite what anyone may tell you, however, this is not the end. This year is not a fluke. At no point in our school's history has the arrow ever pointed more firmly up. We have on the horizon the best recruiting class in our MBB program's history, two more elite WBB recruits to reload Kim Mulkey's squad, and a riverside on-campus stadium that will be the envy of the entire college football world. Our basketball and football teams are led by three of the best coaches Baylor has ever seen in Kim Mulkey, Scott Drew, and Art Briles. All three will be here for years to come. The last has been made first. Competing for championships is not some far off dream; it is our reality.

On that glorious in NYC when he accepted a bronze trophy the likes of which Baylor had never seen before, RG3 told the world that "Baylor we are, and Baylor we'll always be, but it's up to us to define what that means." I don't think he realized then that the tone he set on that incredible Friday night in September would carry through so clearly 9 months later; Baylor means unparalleled excellence.

Pack Notes: Head Coach David Carter Expected to Receive Raise/Extension, Pack Hopes to Raise Money for Upgraded Facilities

pack_fan, Mountain West Connection — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:29:12 -0000

This will be the first installment of a new feature I plan to use to keep everyone updated on all things Wolf Pack. Pack Notes will pretty much be a link dump for any Pack related news. I'm not much of the story type, so simple is better for me. With that, let's jump in.

Head basketball coach David Carter is expected to receive a raise and extension

After leading the basketball team to a 28-7 record and an appearance in the NIT quarterfinals this past season, head coach David Carter is set to receive a $100,000 raise and extension through 2017. The raise and extension is pending approval from the board of regents, but is expected to pass.

The Wolf Pack athletic department will look to raise $30 million over the next 5 years for upgraded athletic facilities

With the program set to move into a new conference, the Wolf Pack athletic department will look to raise funds to go toward upgraded athletic facilities in order to better stay competitive in the MWC. Long has the school desired an indoor practice facility for the football team, and Nevada remains the only cold weather school in the MWC not to have one. The recent budget concerns, along with the typically low attendance numbers, have forced the program to use donations on other matters (such as scholarships, etc.). Other facility upgrades planned are a basketball practice facility, a tennis facility, and upgrades to Mackey Stadium. The article is an interesting read overall and mentions a few other MWC schools throughout the piece. I recommend checking it out.

Nevada SP Braden Shipley wins WAC pitcher of the year honors

After posting a 1.42 ERA with a 4-2 record and 37 strikeouts in conference play, Nevada sophomore Braden Shipley took home the WAC's pitcher of the year honors. Shipley was the lead cog of what turned out to be a nice season for the Wolf Pack, with the team winning a share of the WAC regular season title with a 32-25 record. Nevada was recently knocked out of the WAC tournament, but still has an outside shot at an at large bid for the NCAA Regional Tournament.

Another Boston College Eagle Will Etch Name On Lord Stanley's Cup

Brian Favat, BC Interruption — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:29:36 -0000

This has been assured for a few days now, but the New Jersey Devils just made the names official. With New Jersey's 3-2 overtime victory over the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, another former Boston College Eagle will have his name etched on Lord Stanley's Cup.

Congrats to the Los Angeles Kings Rob Scuderi and the New Jersey Devils Stephen Gionta and Peter Harrold on reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.

Should the Kings win, Scuderi would Bill Guerin (1995, 2009), Doug Brown (1997, 1998), Kevin Stevens (1991, 1992) and Joe Mullen (1989, 1991, 1992) as the only former Eagles to win the Stanley Cup more than once. Gionta and Harrold would become the 10th and 11th Boston College hockey alum to have their name etched on the cup.

The Giontas, Brian and Stephen, would also become the first pair of BC brothers to win a Stanley Cup. And with the same franchise, no less.

The complete list of former Eagles who have hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup.

1989: Joe Mullen, Calgary Flames
1991: Joe Mullen, Pittsburgh Penguins
1991: Kevin Stevens, Pittsburgh Penguins
1992: Joe Mullen, Pittsburgh Penguins
1992: Kevin Stevens, Pittsburgh Penguins
1994: Brian Leetch, New York Rangers
1995: Bill Guerin, New Jersey Devils
1997: Doug Brown, Detroit Red Wings
1998: Doug Brown, Detroit Red Wings
2003: Brian Gionta, New Jersey Devils
2007: Ryan Shannon, Anaheim Ducks
2009: Rob Scuderi, Pittsburgh Penguins
2009: Brooks Orpik, Pittsburgh Penguins
2009: Bill Guerin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Go Eagles!