COLUMBIA, S.C. — Florida won a big game that lived up to a lofty billing, putting themselves in position to with the Southeastern Conference baseball championship for the first time since 2005.
The Gators defeated sixth-ranked South Carolina 3-2 on Thursday night in the first of a three-game series that will decide the conference championship.
“It was a heck of a ballgame,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “It was probably the best ballgame I’ve been a part of all year long. Both starting pitchers were good, there was no errors … it was a really clean game, a fun game to watch.”
Fourth-ranked UF (39-12, 21-7 SEC) built an early 3-0 lead but seemed to be on the ropes when starting pitcher Alex Panteliodis allowed four consecutive baserunners to load the bases and bring the game within two runs in the fourth inning. That sent Panteliodis to the showers and brought Jeff Barfield in from the bullpen.
Barfield entered the game to face the top of the Gamecocks’ lineup but he was unfazed by the pressure, recording a pair of strikeouts to quiet a hostile, standing-room only crowd of 8,188 fans at Carolina Stadium.
“The first guy I was thinking strikeout all the way,” Barfield said. “The next guy I was just pitching to him, I didn’t think about the strikeout until I had two strikes on him.”
Barfield (4-0) earned the win by pitching 2-2/3 innings, striking out four batters and allowing a pinch-hit solo home run in the fifth inning.
“The relievers know you come into the game in tough situations,” Barfield said. “You have to have the right mindset to focus on the batter, all you can control, and not get too overwhelmed by the whole situation and the crowd.
“This is a really nice park and the fans are great, but you really have to be able to focus. Alex, myself, (Steven Rodriguez) and Kevin Chapman were able to do that and that’s what helped us out. It’s a big win, but we’ve got to remember that it’s only one game. We still have to play tomorrow. We’ll enjoy this one tonight and get right back to the grind tomorrow.”
Florida closer Kevin Chapman pitched two perfect innings to record his ninth save of the season, but deferred all credit to Barfield.
“Jeff coming in with the bases loaded and one out and striking out those guys, that was huge,” Chapman said. “After every game we give out the game ball and it’s definitely going to him. All around, it was a great win.”
Chapman threw the vast majority of his pitches as fastballs, topping off at 94-mph on the stadium radar.
UF sophomore Daniel Pigott led the Gators with three hits, batting 3-for-5. Pigott hit a double that would result in him scoring the Gators’ second run of the third inning.
“It gave us a lot of momentum and gave our pitchers a little insurance so they could go get comfortable,” Pigott said.
Tyler Thompson led off the inning with a solo home run despite getting behind in the count to USC ace pitcher Blake Cooper.
“At the beginning of the at bat I was looking fastball inside, he was starting our lefties off with a cutter inside,” Thompson said. “He did that on the first pitch, I swung at it and then he kind of made me look dumb on one of his sliders. I had two strikes, so I was just looking for something over the plate and he left it up and I just but the barrel on it.”
Cooper (10-1) recorded his first loss of the season after allowing eight hits and three runs in 6.2 innings. Cooper’s last loss was also against Florida, on April 29, 2009 in Gainesville. He had not dropped a decision in 18 consecutive starts.
Panteliodis threw 92 pitches in 3.1 innings, allowing seven hits and two walks before O’Sullivan replaced him.
“I thought their hitters the first three innings were outstanding,” O’Sullivan said. “I thought (Panteliodis) was good, I’d give him a plus-grade. I just thought the South Carolina hitters battled and got his pitch count up. I thought he was good tonight, he stuff was good, he commanded the ball and made pitches when he had to.”
O’Sullivan’s previous coaching position was as an assistant at Clemson, so he’s very familiar with the Gamecocks.
“I’ve been going up against South Carolina for many years,” O’Sullivan said. “If they get momentum going, if you don’t make a pitch or a play here and there, they tend to make you pay and put some big numbers on the board. We were just fortunate enough tonight to make some big pitches and it gave us momentum.”
Florida kept the Gamecocks’ leadoff hitter from reaching base in all but the seventh inning, but that runner was quickly erased when catcher Mike Zunino caught Whit Merrifield stealing at second base.
“When those guys get on base, they have a tendency to score.,” O’Sullivan said. “We did a nice job tonight.”
O’Sullivan was impressed with the Gamecocks’ new stadium, which opened last season.
“Wherever you play South Carolina, whether it’s at this place or at the Sarge, they’re always good and they’re always competitive,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s a beautiful ballpark. They have a lot to be proud of here. They have a really good team.”
Florida and South Carolina (42-12, 20-8 SEC) will face off in the second game of the series Friday night at 7 p.m.. Florida will start freshman righthander Hudson Randall (6-3, 2.96 ERA) against USC righthander Sam Dyson (5-4, 3.79). A Florida win would clinch the conference championship.
“Hopefully we get a good start from Hudson tomorrow, but this series is a long way from over,” O’Sullivan said. “We have a loose group, but they are focused. There weren’t any motivational speeches. They know what’s in front of them. If they play good, they have a chance to win and if they play bad they have a chance to lose. It’s as simple as that.”
BASEBALL
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
Eastern Division Conference Overall
(Rank) Team W-L Pct. GB W-L Pct.
(5) Florida 21-7 .750 — 39-12 .765
(6) South Carolina 20-8 .714 1 42-12 .778
(19) Vanderbilt 16-10 .615 4 40-13 .755
Kentucky 12-16 .429 9 30-24 .556
Tennessee 12-16 .429 9 30-24 .556
Georgia 4-22 .154 16 15-36 .294
Western Division Conference Overall
(Rank) Team W-L Pct. GB W-L Pct.
(17) Auburn 18-10 .643 — 38-17 .691
(15) Arkansas 16-12 .571 2 38-16 .704
(17) Mississippi 16-12 .571 2 36-18 .667
(29) Louisiana State 13-15 .464 5 35-19 .648
Alabama 13-15 .464 5 32-21 .604
Mississippi State 5-23 .179 13 22-32 .407
(Rank) Ranking in the GatorCountry.com Top 30
RESULTS
THURSDAY / May 20
Florida 3, South Carolina 2
Vanderbilt 4, Arkansas 3
Auburn 5, Mississippi 3
Louisiana State 14, Mississippi State 13
Alabama 11, Tennessee 3
Georgia 8, Kentucky 6
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY / May 21
Florida (Fr. Hudson Randall 6-3, 2.96 ERA) at South Carolina (Jr. RHP Sam Dyson 5-4, 3.79 ERA), 7 p.m. (SUN)
Kentucky (Fr. RHP Jordan Cooper 4-4, 5.11 ERA) at Georgia (Sr. RHP Jeff Walters 1-6, 8.80 ERA), 6:30 p.m.
Arkansas (Sr. RHP Mike Bolsinger 5-3, 4.66 ERA) at Vanderbilt (Jr. RHP Taylor Hill 5-3, 3.57 ERA), 7 p.m.
Alabama (Jr. RHP Nathan Kilcrease 5-2, 2.44 ERA) at Tennessee (So. LHP Steven Gruver 4-4, 6.62 ERA), 7 p.m.
Auburn (TBA) at Mississippi (Sr. RHP Aaron Barrett 7-2, 3.26 ERA), 7:30 p.m.
Mississippi State (Fr. RHP Chris Stratton 4-3, 5.80 ERA) at Louisiana State (Jr. RHP Anthony Ranaudo 2-2, 9.09 ERA), 8 p.m.
SATURDAY / May 22
Florida (Fr. LHP Brian Johnson 5-2, 3.53 ERA) at South Carolina (TBA), 4 p.m. (FSN)
Alabama (So. LHP Adam Morgan 5-4, 6.58 ERA) at Tennessee (TBA), 1 p.m.
Kentucky (Fr. LHP Taylor Rogers 4-7, 6.27 ERA) at Georgia (So. RHP Michael Palazzone 4-6, 8.32 ERA), 2 p.m.
Arkansas (TBA) at Vanderbilt (So. RHP Jack Armstrong 7-1, 3.53 ERA), 3 p.m.
Mississippi State (TBA) at Louisiana State (Jr. RHP Austin Ross 3-4, 5.27 ERA), 4 p.m.
Auburn (TBA) at Mississippi (TBA), 5 p.m.
2010 SEC TOURNAMENT / Hoover, Ala. / Regions Park
WEDNESDAY / May 26
Game 1: No. 7 seed vs. No. 2 seed, 10:30 a.m. (SUN)
Game 2: No. 6 seed vs. No. 3 seed, 1 p.m. (SUN)
Game 3: No. 8 seed vs. No. 1 seed, 5:30 p.m. (SUN)
Game 4: No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed, 8 p.m. (SUN)
THURSDAY / May 27
Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10:30 a.m. (SUN)
Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 1 p.m. (SUN)
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 5:30 p.m. (SUN)
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 8 p.m. (SUN)
FRIDAY / May 28
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7, 4 p.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY / May 29
Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9, 10:30 a.m. (SUN)
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 10, 1 p.m. (SUN)
Game 13: Winner Game 11 vs. Loser Game 11, 6 p.m. (if necessary) (CSS)
Game 14: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12, 9 p.m. (If necessary) (CSS)
SUNDAY, May 30
Game 15: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
SEC TOURNAMENT SEEDINGS AS OF MAY 17
1. Florida / South Carolina
2. Auburn
3. Florida / South Carolina
4. Vanderbilt
5. Arkansas (won 2 of 3 from Mississippi)
6. Mississippi (lost 2 of 3 to Arkansas)
7/8. Alabama / Kentucky / Louisiana State / Tennessee
7/8. Alabama / Kentucky / Louisiana State / Tennessee
Clinched SEC tourney berth: Florida, South Carolina, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Mississippi.
Eliminated: 11. Mississippi State; 12. Georgia.
NCAA DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP
SUNDAY / May 30
Announcement of 16 regional hosts
MONDAY / May 31
Baseball Selection Show, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN)
FRIDAY-MONDAY / June 4-7
NCAA Regionals (16 sites)
FRIDAY-MONDAY / June 11-14
NCAA Super Regionals (8 sites)
SATURDAY-WEDNESDAY / June 19-30
College World Series, Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha, Neb.
RANKINGS
May 17, 2010
GATOR COUNTRY.com TOP 30 / HOW THEY FARED THURSDAY
The Gator Country.com Top 30 ranking is determined by combining four polls of USA Today / ESPN Coaches, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association:
School (Rcd) Result / Next games
1. Texas (43-8) did not play. Next: May 21-23 at Missouri.
2. Virginia (43-10) lost to No. 13 Miami, Fla., 5-3 (11). Next: May 21-22 at No. 13 Miami, Fla.
3. Arizona State (42-6) did not play. Next: May 21-23 vs. Oregon State.
4. Coastal Carolina (46-6) beat Radford, 7-2. Next: May 21-22 at Radford.
5. Florida (38-12) beat No. 6 South Carolina, 3-2. Next: May 21-22 at No. 6 South Carolina.13
6. South Carolina (41-12) lost to No. 5 Florida, 3-2. Next: May 21-22 vs. No. 5 Florida.
7t. Georgia Tech (42-10) beat Boston College, 15-8. Next: May 21-22 at Boston College.
7t. Florida State (39-14) lost to No. 24t Clemson, 9-8. Next: May 20-22 at No. 24t Clemson.
9. Texas Christian (41-11) beat Cal State Bakersfield, 13-1. Next: May 21-22 vs. Cal State Bakersfield.
10t. UCLA (37-11) did not play. Next: May 21-23 at No. 30 California.
10t. Cal State Fullerton (34-14) did not play. Next: May 21-23 vs. Santa Clara.
12. Louisville (42-10) did not play. Next: May 21-23 at Notre Dame.
13. Miami, Fla. (38-13) beat No. 2 Virginia 5-3 (11). Next: May 21-22 vs. No. 2 Virginia.
14. Oklahoma (38-14) did not play. Next: May 21-23 at Kansas.
15. Arkansas (38-15) lost to No. 19 Vanderbilt, 4-3. Next: May 21-22 at No. 19 Vanderbilt.
16. Virginia Tech (36-19) lost to North Carolina, 13-6. Next: May 20-22 at North Carolina.
17t. Mississippi (36-18) lost to No. 17t Auburn, 5-3. Next: May 21-22 vs. No. 17t Auburn.
17t. Auburn (36-17) beat No. 17t Mississippi, 5-3. Next: May 21-22 at No. 17t Mississippi.
19. Vanderbilt (40-13) beat No. 15 Arkansas, 4-3. Next: May 21-22 vs. No. 15 Arkansas.
20. Connecticut (42-11) beat Seton Hall, 7-2. Next: May 21-22 vs. Seton Hall.
21. Rice (33-19) beat UAB, 5-2. Next: May 21-22 vs. UAB.
22. San Diego (31-17) did not play. Next: May 21-23 at Pepperdine.
23. UC Irvine (32-17) did not play. Next: May 21-23 vs. UC Riverside.
24t. Clemson (34-19) beat No. 7t Florida State, 9-8. Next: May 20-22 vs. No. 7t Florida State.
24t. Oregon (34-18) did not play. Next: May 21-23 at Washington.
26t. Arizona (31-17) did not play. Next: May 21-23 vs. Stanford.
26t. Washington State (28-18) did not play. Next: May 21-23 vs. Southern California.
28. Kansas State (34-16) did not play. Next: May 21-23 at Texas A&M.
29. Louisiana State (35-18) beat Mississippi State, 14-13. Next: May 21-22 vs. Mississippi State.
30. California (27-18) did not play. Next: May 21-23 vs. No. 10t UCLA.
USA TODAY/ESPN COACHES
1. Texas (43-8); 2. Virginia (43-9); 3. Arizona State (42-6); 4. Coastal Carolina (45-6); 5. Florida (37-12); 6. Georgia Tech (41-10); 7. South Carolina (41-11); 8. Florida State (39-13); 9. Texas Christian (40-11); 10. UCLA (37-11); 11. Louisville (42-10); 12. Cal State Fullerton (34-14); 13. Miami, Fla. (37-13); 14. Arkansas (38-14); 15. Vanderbilt (39-13); 16. Oklahoma (37-14); 17. Mississippi (36-17); 18. Auburn (35-17); 19. Connecticut (41-11); 20. Virginia Tech (36-18); 21. Rice (32-19); 22. Clemson (33-19); 23. Oregon (34-18); 24. Kansas State (34-16); 25. San Diego (31-17); 26. UC Irvine (32-17); 27. Pittsburgh (36-14); 28. Louisiana State (34-18); 29. Arizona (31-17); 30. College of Charleston (39-14).
BASEBALL AMERICA
1. Virginia (43-9); 2. Texas (43-8); 3. Arizona State (42-6); 4. Florida (37-12); 5. Coastal Carolina (45-6); 6. South Carolina (41-11); 7. Florida State (39-13); 8. Texas Christian (40-11); 9. Cal State Fullerton (34-14); 10. UCLA (37-11); 11. Louisville (42-10); 12. Virginia Tech (36-16); 13. Georgia Tech (41-10); 14. Miami, Fla. (37-13); 15. Oklahoma (37-14); 16. Auburn (35-17); 17. Arkansas (38-14); 18. Mississippi (36-17); 19. San Diego (31-17); 20. Connecticut (41-11); 21. Rice (32-19); 22. Oregon (34-18); 23. Vanderbilt (39-13); 24. Washington State (28-18); 25. UC Irvine (32-17).
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL
1. Texas (43-8); 2. Virginia (43-9); 3. Arizona State (42-6); 4. Coastal Carolina (45-6); 5. Florida (37-12); 6. South Carolina (41-11); 7. Cal State Fullerton (34-14); 8. Georgia Tech (41-10); 9. Miami, Fla. (37-13); 10. UCLA (37-11); 11. Florida State (39-13); 12. Texas Christian (40-11); 13. Louisville (42-10); 14. Oklahoma (37-14); 15. San Diego (31-17); 16. Auburn (35-17); 17. Mississippi (36-17); 18. Arkansas (38-14); 19. Connecticut (41-11); 20. Vanderbilt (39-13); 21. Virginia Tech (36-16); 22. Rice (32-19); 23. UC Irvine (32-17); 24. Washington State (28-18); 25. California (27-18); 26. Arizona (31-17); 27. Fresno State (32-22); 28. Clemson (33-19); 29. Southern Mississippi (30-19); 30. Kansas State (34-16).
NATIONAL COLLEGE BASEBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION
1. Texas (43-8); 2. Virginia (43-9); 3. Arizona State (42-6); 4. Coastal Carolina (45-6); 5. Florida (37-12); 6. Texas Christian (40-11); 7. Georgia Tech (41-10); 8. Florida State (39-13); 9. South Carolina (41-11); 10. UCLA (37-11); 11. Louisville (42-10); 12. Cal State Fullerton (34-14); 13. Miami, Fla. (37-13); 14. Arkansas (38-14); 15. Oklahoma (37-14); 16. Vanderbilt (39-13); 17. Virginia Tech (36-16); 18. Connecticut (41-11); 19. Mississippi (36-17); 20. Clemson (33-19); 21. Auburn (35-17); 22. Rice (32-19); 23. UC Irvine (32-17); 24. Arizona (31-17); 25. Oregon (34-18); 26. North Carolina (32-20); 27. Louisiana State (34-18); 28. Kansas State (34-16); 29. San Diego (31-17); 30. Stanford (27-20).
NCAA MEN’S BASEBALL RATINGS PERCENTAGE INDEX
May 18, 2010
1. Arizona State (Pac-10); 2. Virginia (ACC); 3. Coastal Carolina (Big South); 4. Florida (SEC); 5. Louisville (Big East); 6. Texas (Big 12); 7. UCLA (Pac-10); 8. Arkansas (SEC); 9. Miami, Fla. (ACC); 10. Georgia Tech (ACC); 11. Cal State Fullerton (Big West); 12. Florida State (ACC); 13. Vanderbilt (SEC); 14. South Carolina (SEC); 15. Alabama (SEC); 16. Auburn (SEC); 17. Arizona (Pac-10); 18. San Diego (West Coast); 19. Clemson (ACC); 20. Texas Christian (MWC); 21. Kentucky (SEC); 22. Louisiana State (SEC); 23. Oregon (Pac-10); 24. Connecticut (Big East); 25. Oklahoma (Big 12); 26. Mississippi (SEC); 27. Virginia Tech (SEC); 28. Rice (C-USA); 29. College of Charleston (Southern); 30. North Carolina (ACC); 31. Texas A&M (Big 12); 32. Washington State (Pac-10); 33. Oregon State (Pac-10); 34. Louisiana-Lafayette (Sun Belt); 35. California (Pac-10); 36. Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt); 37. Western Kentucky (Sun Belt); 38. New Mexico (MWC); 39. Tennessee (SEC); 40. Southeastern Louisiana (Southland); 41. Kansas State (Big 12); 42. Citadel (Southern); 43. Stanford (Pac-10); 44. Liberty (Big South); 45. Florida Gulf Coast (A-Sun); 46. Boston College (ACC); 47. Pittsburgh (Big East); 48. Texas State (Southland); 49. Baylor (Big 12); 50. Texas Tech (Big 12); 51. Elon (Southern); 52. UC Irvine (Big West); 53. Georgia Southern (Southern); 54. Kansas (Big 12); 55. Washington (Pac-10); 56. Appalachian State (Southern); 57. Western Carolina (Southern); 58. Middle Tennessee (Sun Belt); 59. North Carolina State (ACC); 60. Southern Mississippi (C-USA); 61. FIU (Sun Belt); 62. South Alabama (Sun Belt); 63. Southern California (Pac-10); 64. Rutgers (Big East).
RPI BY CONFERENCE
Southeastern: 4. Florida; 8. Arkansas; 13. Vanderbilt; 14. South Carolina; 15. Alabama; 16. Auburn; 21. Kentucky; 22. Louisiana State; 26. Mississippi; 39. Tennessee; 70. Mississippi State; 114. Georgia.
America East: 192. Binghamton; 203. Maine; 225. Stony Brook; 279. Albany (N.Y.); 283. Hartford; 291. Maryland-Baltimore County.
Atlantic 10: 83. Charlotte; 169. Rhode Island; 193. Xavier; 210. Massachusetts; 223. Richmond; 226. Fordham; 232. St. Louis; 235. George Washington; 238. St. Joseph’s; 242. Dayton; 258. St. Bonaventure; 261. La Salle; 262. Duquesne; 267. Temple.
Atlantic Coast: 2. Virginia; 9. Miami, Fla.; 10. Georgia Tech; 12. Florida State; 19. Clemson; 27. Virginia Tech; 30. North Carolina; 46. Boston College; 59. North Carolina State; 77. Duke; 121. Wake Forest; 147. Maryland.
Atlantic Sun: 45. Florida Gulf Coast; 97. North Florida; 105. Jacksonville; 122. East Tennessee State; 148. Stetson; 151. Kennesaw State; 157. Mercer; 166. Belmont; 180. Lipscomb; 221. Campbell; 227. South Carolina Upstate.
Big 12: 6. Texas; 25. Oklahoma; 31. Texas A&M; 41. Kansas State; 49. Baylor; 50. Texas Tech; 54. Kansas; 73. Nebraska; 81. Missouri; 88. Oklahoma State.
Big East: 5. Louisville; 24. Connecticut; 47. Pittsburgh; 64. Rutgers; 78. St. John’s (N.Y.); 102. West Virginia; 110. South Florida; 128. Villanova; 134. Cincinnati; 178. Georgetown; 185. Seton Hall; 197. Notre Dame.
Big South: 3. Coastal Carolina; 44. Liberty; 72. Virginia Military Institute; 87. Radford; 118. High Point; 124. Winthrop; 168. Gardner-Webb; 173. Charleston Southern; 216. UNC Asheville; 263. Presbyterian.
Big Ten: 69. Michigan; 80. Michigan State; 96. Indiana; 99. Ohio State; 138. Purdue; 139. Illinois; 142. Minnesota; 150. Iowa; 177. Penn State; 186. Northwestern.
Big West: 11. Cal State Fullerton; 52. UC Irvine; 66. UC Riverside; 79. Long Beach State; 86. Pacific; 135. Cal State Northridge; 164. Cal Poly; 165. UC Santa Barbara; 175. UC Davis.
Colonial: 75. James Madison; 115. UNC Wilmington; 126. George Mason; 140. Virginia Commonwealth; 159. William & Mary; 176. Georgia State; 198. Delaware; 199. Hofstra; 204. Towson; 228. Old Dominion; 243. Northeastern.
Conference USA: 28. Rice; 60. Southern Mississippi; 71. East Carolina; 82. UCF; 85. Tulane; 89. Houston; 98. Memphis; 106. Marshall; 117. UAB.
Horizon: 167. Wright State; 214. Illinois-Chicago; 233. Milwaukee; 265. Valparaiso; 269. Youngstown State; 272. Butler; 284. Cleveland State.
Ivy Group: 143. Dartmouth; 145. Columbia; 183. Cornell; 224. Penn; 230. Harvard; 239. Brown; 245. Yale; 257. Princeton.
Metro Atlantic: 93. Manhattan; 125. Marist; 149. Canisius; 153. Rider; 181. Siena; 247. Fairfield; 252. Niagara; 278. St. Peter’s; 288. Iona.
Mid-American: 95. Ball State; 129. Kent State; 131. Central Michigan; 133. Toledo; 136. Bowling Green; 171. Miami, Ohio; 188. Eastern Michigan; 213. Northern Illinois; 216. Buffalo; 234. Ohio; 244. Akron; 266. Western Michigan.
Mid-Eastern: 113. Bethune-Cookman; 240. North Carolina A&T; 285. Norfolk State; 292. Coppin State; 294. Delaware State; 295. Florida A&M; 296. Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Missouri Valley: 65. Wichita State; 101. Evansville; 104. Indiana State; 107. Illinois State; 170. Southern Illinois; 174. Creighton; 182. Missouri State; 250. Bradley.
Mountain West: 20. Texas Christian; 38. New Mexico; 94. Brigham Young; 103. San Diego State; 132. UNLV; 156. Utah; 253. Air Force.
Northeast: 196. Bryant; 201. Sacred Heart; 211. Central Connecticut State; 229. Monmouth; 249. Wagner; 273. Quinnipiac; 275. Mount St. Mary’s; 277. Long Island; 286. Fairleigh Dickinson.
Ohio Valley: 111. Jacksonville State; 137. Austin Peay; 155. Murray State; 158. Southeast Missouri State; 179. Eastern Kentucky; 189. Morehead State; 190. Tennessee Tech; 231. UT Martin; 235. Eastern Illinois.
Pacific-10: 1. Arizona State; 7. UCLA; 17. Arizona; 23. Oregon; 32. Washington State; 33. Oregon State; 35. California; 43. Stanford; 55. Washington; 63. Southern California.
Patriot League: 161. Army; 209. Holy Cross; 219. Lehigh; 220. Bucknell; 254. Lafayette; 259. Navy.
Southern: 29. College of Charleston; 42. Citadel; 51. Elon; 53. Georgia Southern; 56. Appalachian State; 57. Western Carolina; 68. Samford; 202. UNC Greensboro; 206. Wofford; 207. Davidson; 241. Furman.
Southland: 40. Southeastern Louisiana; 48. Texas State; 76. Northwestern State; 100. Stephen F. Austin; 120. McNeese State; 123. Texas-Arlington; 127. UTSA; 146. Lamar; 162. Nicholls State; 191. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; 200. Sam Houston State; 212. Central Arkansas.
Southwestern: 237. Southern U.; 248. Jackson State; 251. Texas Southern; 271. Alcorn State; 281. Grambling; 282. Mississippi Valley State; 293. Arkansas-Pine Bluff; 297. Prairie View; 299. Alabama State; 301. Alabama A&M.
Summit League: 141. South Dakota State; 144. Oral Roberts; 172. Centenary; 256. Southern Utah; 268. Oakland; 274. IPFW; 280. North Dakota State; 287. Western Illinois.
Sun Belt: 34. Louisiana-Lafayette; 36. Florida Atlantic; 37. Western Kentucky; 58. Middle Tennessee; 61. FIU; 62. South Alabama; 67. Troy; 91. Arkansas State; 130. Arkansas-Little Rock; 184. Louisiana-Monroe; 222. New Orleans.
West Coast: 18. San Diego; 92. Portland; 108. San Francisco; 160. Pepperdine; 163. Loyola Marymount; 187. Gonzaga; 205. St. Mary’s (Calif.); 208. Santa Clara.
Western Athletic: 74. Fresno State; 84. Hawaii; 90. New Mexico State; 112. Nevada; 154. Louisiana Tech; 215. San Jose State; 218. Sacramento State.
Independents: 109. Le Moyne; 116. Cal State Bakersfield; 119. Dallas Baptist; 152. Longwood; 246. Seattle; 264. SIU Edwardsville; 290. Savannah State; 300. North Carolina Central.
Great West: (No automatic berth) 194. Northern Colorado; 195. Utah Valley; 255. Houston Baptist; 260. New York Institute of Technology; 270. North Dakota; 276. Texas-Pan American; 289. New Jersey Institute of Technology; 298. Chicago State.
NCAA DIVISION I CONFERENCES
AMERICA EAST
Tournament: May 26-28 at highest seed (4-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Binghamton 18-3 (27-18); 2. Stony Brook 15-6 (26-22); 3. Maine 13-7 (30-20); 4. Albany 9-12 (10-36); 5. UMBC 4-16 (9-35); 6. Hartford 3-18 (9-35).
ATLANTIC COAST
Tournament: May 26-30 at NewBridge Bank Park, Greensboro, N.C. (Top two teams in each division plus four teams with next best conference winning percentage; 8-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): Atlantic Division: 1. Florida State 18-9 (39-13); 2. Clemson 15-12 (33-19); 3. Boston College 13-14 (28-23); 4. N.C. State 12-15 (32-20); 5. Wake Forest 6-21 (15-36); 6. Maryland 4-23 (16-37). Coastal Division: 1. Virginia 21-6 (43-9); 2. (tie) Georgia Tech 19-8 (41-10) and Miami, Fla. 19-8 (37-13); 4. Virginia Tech 16-11 (36-16); 5. North Carolina 11-16 (32-20); 6. Duke 8-19 (29-24).
ATLANTIC 10
Tournament: May 26-29 at Campbell’s Field, Camden, N.J. (6-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Charlotte 18-6 (35-13); 2. (tie) Rhode Island 15-9 (26-22) and Xavier 15-9 (22-30); 4. (tie) Fordham 13-11 (19-32), George Washington 13-11 (25-26), La Salle 13-11 (20-28) and Saint Joseph’s 13-11 (18-26); 8. (tie) Dayton 12-12 (23-29) and Saint Louis 12-12 (26-26); 10. Massachusetts 11-13 (17-26); 11. (tie) Duquesne 9-15 (15-38) and Richmond 9-15 (23-26); 13. Temple 8-16 (12-36).
ATLANTIC SUN
Tournament: May 26-29 at Dugan Field/Marsh Stadium, Nashville, Tenn. (6-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. xy-Florida Gulf Coast 22-5 (34-17); 2. x-North Florida 14-9 (29-22); 3. (tie) Mercer 14-10 (31-21) and East Tennessee State 14-10 (29-24); 5. Stetson 13-11 (26-27); 6. (tie) Belmont 12-11 (26-24) and Jacksonville 12-11 (23-25); 8. Kennesaw State 10-14 (21-30); 9. Lipscomb 8-15 (18-33); 10. USC Upstate (not eligible) 8-19 (18-36); 11. Campbell 6-18 (26-26). x-clinched tournament berth; y-regular-season champion.
BIG EAST
Tournament: May 25-30 at Bright House Field, Clearwater, Fla. (8-team, 2-bracket, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. x-Connecticut 18-5 (41-11); 2. x-Louisville 18-6 (42-10); 3. x-Pittsburgh 17-6 (36-14); 4. x-St. John’s 15-9 (34-16); 5. x-South Florida 14-10 (23-29); 6. x-Rutgers 13-11 (25-23); 7. (tie) Cincinnati 10-14 (26-27) and Notre Dame 10-14 (22-29); 9. (tie) Villanova 8-16 (28-21) and West Virginia 8-16 (24-27); 11. Seton Hall 7-17 (18-28-1); 12. Georgetown 5-19 (23-28).
BIG SOUTH
Tournament: May 25-29 at The Winthrop Ballpark, Rock Hill, S.C. (Seeds 6-7, 5-8 games on May 25 are single elimination; two that survive enter double-elimination tournament May 26-29).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. y-Coastal Carolina 23-0 (45-6); 2. Liberty 18-6 (37-15); 3. Radford 15-9 (28-22); 4. (tie) Virginia Military Institute 12-12 (31-18) and High Point 12-12 (26-26); 6. Winthrop 11-13 (23-26); 7. Gardner-Webb 9-15 (23-27); 8. UNC Asheville 8-16 (15-32); 9. Charleston Southern 6-17 (17-34); 10. Presbyterian 5-19 (13-37). y-clinched regular-season title.
BIG TEN
Tournament: May 26-29 at Bill Davis Stadium, Columbus, Ohio (6-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Minnesota 13-8 (25-27); 2. (tie) Michigan 12-9 (31-19) and Purdue 12-9 (30-19); 4. Northwestern 11-10 (22-29); 5. (tie) Michigan State 10-11 (32-17), Ohio State 10-11 (27-21), Indiana 10-11 (25-24) and Iowa 10-11 (23-26); 9. Illinois 9-12 (24-24); 10. Penn State 8-13 (21-28).
BIG 12
Tournament: May 26-30 at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, Oklahoma City, Okla. (8-team, 2-bracket, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Texas 21-3 (43-8); 2. Kansas State 13-10 (34-16); 3. Oklahoma 12-10 (37-14); 4. Texas Tech 13-11 (27-24); 5. Texas A&M 12-11-1 (33-18-1); 6. Kansas 11-12-1 (30-21-1); 7. Missouri 10-13 (27-22); 8. Baylor 9-13 (27-21); 9. Oklahoma State 8-16 (28-23); 10. Nebraska 7-17 (23-27).
BIG WEST
Tournament: None; regular-season champion gets automatic berth.
Automatic NCAA berth: Cal State Fullerton.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. y-Cal State Fullerton 18-3 (34-14); 2. UC Irvine 12-6 (32-17); 3. Pacific 11-7 (30-18); 4. UC Riverside 10-8 (28-19); 5. (tie) Long Beach State 7-11 (22-26) and UC Santa Barbara 7-11 (21-25); 7. Cal Poly 8-13 (17-30); 8. Cal State Northridge 6-12 (24-23); 9. UC Davis 5-13 (21-26). y-clinched regular-season championship but gets berth because it has the tiebreaker (won two of three games from UC Irvine).
COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Tournament: May 27-29 at Brooks Field, Wilmington, N.C. (4-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. James Madison 16-5 (26-20); 2. Virginia Commonwealth 15-5-1 (30-20-1); 3. Georgia State 14-6-1 (31-20-1); 4. UNC Wilmington 13-11 (29-24); 5. (tie) George Mason 10-11 (27-20), William & Mary 10-11 (26-20) and Hofstra 10-11 (20-25-1); 8. Towson 9-12 (17-34); 9. Old Dominion 8-13 (21-30); 10. Delaware 6-15 (24-24); 11. Northeastern 5-16 (12-28).
CONFERENCE USA
Tournament: May 26-30 at Cougar Field, Houston, Texas (6-team, 2-pool, round-robin tournament).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Rice 15-6 (32-19); 2. Southern Mississippi 12-9 (30-19); 3. Memphis 11-10 (26-26); 4. Marshall 12-12 (23-28); 5. (tie) East Carolina 10-11 (30-22) and UAB 10-11 (27-23); 7. (tie) Tulane 9-12 (30-22) and Houston 9-12 (22-28); 9. UCF 8-13 (31-21).
GREAT WEST
Tournament: None.
Automatic NCAA berth: None.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. y-Utah Valley 22-2 (33-17); 2. Northern Colorado 18-6 (28-22); 3. Houston Baptist 15-9 (26-26); 4. New York Institute of Technology 13-11 (22-26); 5. North Dakota 11-13 (15-30); 6. (tie) New Jersey Institute of Technology 7-16 (11-39) and Texas Pan American 7-16 (18-30); 8. Chicago State 2-22 (4-45). y-league champion.
HORIZON LEAGUE
Tournament: May 26-30 at U.S. Steel Yard, Gary, Ind. (6-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Wright State 17-6 (29-20); 2. Milwaukee 14-8 (26-22); 3. UIC 13-8 (20-27); 4. Valparaiso 8-8 (21-28); 5. Youngstown State 9-14 (21-29); 6. Butler 8-13 (18-26); 7. Cleveland State 5-17 (12-39).
IVY GROUP
Tournament: Best-of-three postseason series at New York May 8-10, Dartmouth vs. Columbia.
Automatic NCAA berth: Dartmouth (L, 2-13; W, 15-10; W, 11-5).
Regular-season standings (final): Gehrig Division: 1. Columbia 14-6 (26-21); 2. Penn 10-10 (21-20); 3. Cornell 9-11 (18-20); 4. Princeton 6-14 (12-30). Rolfe Division: 1. Dartmouth 13-7 (26-17); 2. (tie) Harvard 10-10 (17-25) and Brown 10-10 (13-31); 4. Yale 8-12 (21-22-1).
METRO ATLANTIC
Tournament: May 26-30 at Dutchess Stadium, Fishkill, N.Y. (4-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Canisius 17-4 (35-18); 2. (tie) Manhattan 13-8 (28-17) and Marist 13-8 (30-20); 4. (tie) Rider 12-9 (30-21), Siena 12-9 (26-25) and Niagara 12-9 (16-34); 7. Fairfield 8-13 (18-29); 8. Saint Peter’s 6-18 (16-32); 9. Iona 3-18 (9-36).
MID-AMERICAN
Tournament: May 26-29 at VA Memorial Field, Chillicothe, Ohio (8-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): East: 1. (tie) Kent State 15-9 (31-22) and Bowling Green 15-9 (25-21); 3. Ohio 13-11 (20-30); 4. Miami, Ohio 10-14 (25-26); 5. Buffalo 9-15 (23-26). West: 1. Ball State 18-6 (27-24); 2. (tie) Toledo 17-7 (31-19) and Central Michigan 17-7 (30-19); 4. Eastern Michigan 13-11 (25-27); 5. Northern Illinois 9-15 (20-31); 6. Western Michigan 5-19 (12-38).
MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC
Tournament: May 20-23 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, Daytona Beach, Fla. (6-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Tournament seeds: 1. Bethune-Cookman 18-0 (32-20); 2. North Carolina A&T 15-3 (28-24); 3. Norfolk State 9-9 (19-27-1); 4. Delaware State 8-10 (12-34); 5. Coppin State 7-11 (13-31); 6. x-Maryland Eastern Shore 3-15 (8-40).
x-Maryland Eastern Shore earned the sixth seed from Florida A&M (3-15, 10-31-1) by winning two of three games from Florida A&M during the regular season.
MISSOURI VALLEY
Tournament: May 25-29 at Eck Stadium, Wichita, Kan. (8-team, 2-bracket, double-elimination; bracket winners meet in single game for championship).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Illinois State 14-4 (26-20); 2. Wichita State 15-6 (34-18); 3. Indiana State 9-8 (32-15); 4. Southern Illinois 8-9 (26-26); 5. Evansville 8-10 (28-24); 6. Creighton 9-12 (24-21); 7. Bradley 6-12 (18-29); 8. Missouri State 5-13 (19-30).
MOUNTAIN WEST
Tournament: May 25-29 at Tony Gwynn Stadium, San Diego, Calif. (6-team, double-elimination tournament).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Texas Christian 19-5 (40-11); 2. New Mexico 13-7 (34-17); 3. UNLV 11-10 (27-23); 4. (tie) San Diego State 10-11 (25-26) and Brigham Young 10-11 (23-27); 6. Utah 9-12 (21-25); 7. Air Force 2-18 (12-40).
NORTHEAST
Tournament: May 27-29 at TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater, N.J. (Best-of-three series between top two teams).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. z-Bryant 22-6 (31-21); 2. x-Sacred Heart 19-9 (28-22); 3. Central Connecticut State 15-13 (26-19); 4. (tie) Monmouth 13-15 (20-23), Wagner 13-15 (21-29) and Quinnipiac 13-15 (14-35); 7. Mount St. Mary’s 14-18 (20-31); 8. Long Island 10-18 (13-39); 9. Fairleigh Dickinson 9-19 (14-35). z-ineligible for tournament because it is making move into Division I; x-clinched NEC Tournament berth.
OHIO VALLEY
Tournament: May 26-30 at Pringles Park, Jackson, Tenn. (6-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. x-Murray State 12-5-1 (25-22-1); 2. x-Tennessee Tech 11-6 (25-23); 3. x-Southeast Missouri State 12-7 (29-21); 4. x-Jacksonville State 12-8 (26-23); 5. Eastern Illinois 9-11 (15-32); 6. Eastern Kentucky 9-12 (24-24); 7. Morehead State 6-9-1 (24-22-1); 8. UT Martin 8-13 (23-28); 9. Austin Peay 5-13 (24-25).
PACIFIC-10
Tournament: None; regular-season champion earns berth.
Automatic NCAA berth: Arizona State has a three-game lead over UCLA with six games to play – three with Oregon State this weekend and three at Stanford the following weekend. The Bruins, meanwhile, have three games at California this weekend and close at home against Washingon State. Arizona State and UCLA are the only teams with a chance to win the regular-season title and automatic NCAA berth.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Arizona State 16-5 (43-6); 2. UCLA 13-8 (37-11); 3. (tie) Washington State 11-10 (28-18), California 11-10 (27-18) and Stanford 11-10 (27-20); 6. (tie) Oregon 10-11 (34-18) and Arizona 10-11 (31-18); 8. (tie) Oregon State 9-12 (26-19) and Washington 9-12 (26-24); 10. Southern California 5-16 (23-28).
PATRIOT LEAGUE
Tournament: Top-seeded Army was host to fourth-seeded Bucknell and second-seeded Lehigh was host to third-seeded Holy Cross in best-of-three series May 14-15, with Bucknell and Holy Cross each winning the decisive third game to set up a best-of-three series May 21-22 at Holy Cross (first game Friday, second game Saturday and third game, if necessary, following Saturday’s second game).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Army 16-4 (28-17); 2. Lehigh 12-8 (23-27); 3. Holy Cross 10-10 (25-24); 4. Bucknell 8-12 (23-32); 5. (tie) Lafayette 7-13 (15-30) and Navy 7-13 (29-21).
SOUTHEASTERN
Tournament: May 26-30 at Regions Park, Hoover, Ala. (8-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): Eastern Division: 1. (tie) Florida 20-7 (38-12) and South Carolina 20-7 (42-11); 3. Vanderbilt 15-10 (39-13); 4. (tie) Kentucky 12-15 (30-23) and Tennessee 12-15 (30-23); 6. Georgia 3-22 (14-36). Western Division: 1. Auburn 17-10 (36-17); 2. (tie) Mississippi 16-11 (36-17) and Arkansas 16-11 (38-15); 4. (tie) Louisiana State 12-15 (34-19) and Alabama 12-15 (31-21); 6. Mississippi State 5-22 (22-31).
SOUTHERN
Tournament: May 26-30 at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, Charleston, S.C. (8-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. The Citadel 21-6 (35-20); 2. College of Charleston 22-8 (40-14); 3. Georgia Southern 19-8 (34-19); 4. Elon 17-10 (34-19); 5. Samford 16-10 (29-21); 6. Western Carolina 13-13-1 (31-19-1); 7. Appalachian State 11-14-1 (32-16-1); 8. Wofford 9-18 (17-35); 9. Furman 8-10 (16-34); 10. UNC Greensboro 7-20 (20-30); 11. Davidson 5-22 (19-29).
SOUTHLAND
Tournament: May 26-29 at Whataburger Field, Corpus Christi, Texas (8-team, 2-bracket, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. (tie) Southeastern Louisiana 21-9 (39-14) and Texas State 21-9 (32-19); 3. Northwestern State 19-10 (33-19); 4. Stephen F. Austin 18-11 (32-17); 5. UT Arlington 18-12 (26-27); 6. (tie) Lamar 15-15 (30-22) and McNeese State 15-15 (28-23); 8. Nicholls 13-17 (24-26); 9. UTSA 11-19 (20-27); 10. (tie) Texas A&M Corpus Christi 9-20-1 (19-31-1) and Central Arkansas 9-20-1 (18-33-1); 12. Sam Houston 9-21 (17-35).
SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC
Tournament: May 26-30 at Fairgrounds Field, Shreveport, La. (8-team, 2-bracket, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): Eastern Division: 1. Jackson State 19-5 (35-14); 2. (tie) Alcorn State 15-8 (24-26) and Mississippi Valley State 15-8 (22-26); 4. Alabama State 6-17 (11-24); 5. Alabama A&M 3-20 (17-32). Western Division: 1. Texas Southern 18-6 (28-23); 2. Southern 17-6 (22-19); 3. Grambling 10-14 (16-29); 4. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 8-16 (18-30); 5. Prairie View 6-17 (12-35).
SUMMIT LEAGUE
Tournament: May 27-29 at J.L. Johnson Stadium, Tulsa, Okla. (4-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Centenary 15-7 (26-22); 2. (tie) South Dakota State 16-8 (34-18) and Oral Roberts 16-8 (29-24); 4. Southern Utah 11-12 (18-32); 5. IPFW 11-13 (15-36); 6. North Dakota State 10-13 (21-27); 7. Oakland 9-14 (18-32); 8. Western Illinois 5-18 (13-36).
SUN BELT
Tournament: May 26-29 at Reese Smith Jr. Field, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (8-team, double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Florida Atlantic 19-8 (31-18); 2. Louisiana-Lafayette 18-9 (34-18); 3. Middle Tennessee 17-10 (33-19); 4. (tie) FIU 16-11 (30-20) and South Alabama 16-11 (30-23); 6. Arkansas State 15-12 (27-24); 7. (tie) Troy 14-13 (30-22) and Western Kentucky 14-13 (33-20); 9. Arkansas-Little Rock 10-15 (27-24); 10. Louisiana-Monroe 7-20 (17-35).
WEST COAST
Tournament: None. San Diego won the outright conference title last weekend without playing a game. The Toreros were idle and San Francisco swept second-place Portland and Pepperdine dropped a game, so it is mathematically impossible for anyone to catch San Diego, which has a three-game road series remaining with Pepperdine May 21-23 and a home series with Saint Mary’s May 28-30.
Automatic NCAA berth: San Diego.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. San Diego 15-0 (31-17); 2. Portland 11-7 (31-16); 3. San Francisco 10-8 (27-25); 4. Pepperdine 8-7 (20-26); 5. Saint Mary’s 7-11 (16-28-1); 6. Santa Clara 6-12 (21-26); 7. Gonzaga 5-10 (17-33); 8. Loyola Marymount 4-11 (21-26).
WESTERN ATHLETIC
Tournament: May 26-30 at Hohokam Stadium, Mesa, Ariz. (double-elimination).
Automatic NCAA berth: Winner of postseason tournament.
Regular-season standings (as of May 18): 1. Fresno State 13-7 (32-22); 2. New Mexico State 14-9-1 (36-19-1); 3. Nevada 11-8-1 (30-19-1); 4. Louisiana Tech 10-10 (25-25); 5. Hawaii 9-11 (26-23); 6. San Jose State 8-12 (20-32); 7. Sacramento State 6-14 (17-32-1).