Notables…

• TCU’s Matt Purke, Bryan Holaday and Taylor Featherston were named to the College World Series All-Tournament today. With three wins, the Horned Frogs had an excellent showing in their first trip to Omaha.
• Dirk Nowitzki is flying to Dallas on Thursday to negotiate with the Mavericks. Nowitzki opted out of his contract earlier this week and is eligible to be a free agent. Originally, Donnie Nelson was scheduled to go to Germany, so the fact that Dirk is making an effort to come to Dallas is a good sign.
• The Stars declined to re-sign Mike Modano. The 40-year-old will entertain the idea of playing for another team. Weird!

Eighth Inning Turns Fortunes Around: TCU 11 Florida State 7

With their biggest comeback of an already record-setting season coming Wednesday night, there is no question the Horned Frogs are “in it to win it.”

Down 7-3 in the eighth and facing elimination at the hands of Florida State, the Horned Frogs stunned the Seminoles by scoring eight runs in an unforgettable eighth inning that will be etched in the storied history of Rosenblatt Stadium.

The eighth inning culminated with a two-out full-count grand slam off the bat of senior first baseman Matt Curry to give the Frogs a 9-7 lead. Two runs scored before the mammoth homer to center, and two runs scored after it on a second Frog homer by Jantzen Witte off FSU closer and outfielder Mike McGee took his first blown save of the season.

Head coach Jim Schlossnagle wanted to bring his team to Rosenblatt Stadium before it closed. Well, he and his team have reached Omaha, the pinnacle of college baseball and they a living a dream – a dream the coach the players thought the program could achieve.

The Frogs next play at 3:30 p.m. Friday once again against UCLA.

Check back for more details.

A Superman Sighting in Houston: Rangers 5 Astros 4 (10)

That’s right! Josh Hamilton’s stats from Sunday:

• 5 hits
• The game-tying single in the ninth and the game-winning single in the 10th inning (Vladimir Guerrero, who was hitless for the day was intentionally walked to get to Hamilton!
• A career-best 16-game hitting streak
• 37 hits and 25 RBI’s so far in June

Other Notable Stats:

• 4 hits for Julio Borbon
• First time in team history to win eight in a row on a single road trip!
  

Early Offense Leads To Win in CWS Debut: TCU 8 Florida State 1

The Horned Frogs channeled any nerves they may have had coming into their first-ever appearance at Rosenblatt Stadium into five runs and never looked back.

The entire batting order came to the plate in the bottom of the first inning – all simply doing what they know how to do: swing the bat. Florida State starter Sean Gilmartin surrendered four singles, two doubles and a sacrifice fly as TCU put together an inning it will never forget on college baseball’s biggest stage.

That was all that freshman All-American Matt Purke needed to help the Frogs cruise to victory. Purke, who tied Lance Broadway with his 15th win of the season Saturday, gave up his only run in the top of the first. In the seven-inning outing, he allowed four hits, walked seven and uncharacteristically walked four, although Florida State does have a penchant for the base on balls, according to the telecast.

The third inning started with two consecutive walks to Jantzen Witte and Taylor Featherston by reliever Hunter Scantling. Aaron Schultz sacrificed the runners over to second and third for Brance Rivera, who executed a squeeze ply to get Witte in from third but only found himself in the middle of a 1-3-2 non-traditional double play. Sacrifices are a huge part of the Frogs’ fundamentally-focused game plan.

After an error by catcher and clubhouse leader Bryan Holaday in the top of the fourth allowed a runner to reach base on a strikeout, he atoned for that mistake by hitting the ball over the wall in left field for TCU’s first CWS home run. That made it 7-1

After three scoreless innings, Jason Coats brought home Brance Rivera in the eighth for his third RBI of the game and the Frogs’ eighth and final run.

The Frogs are now in good position in the winner’s bracket and will play UCLA at 8 p.m. Monday on ESPN2. Go Frogs!

Lewis Unhittable in Complete-Game Victory: Rangers 5 Astros 1

It’s simple: This game was all about Colby Lewis.

Lewis delivered a two-hit 101-pitch complete game performance that clearly boggled the entire Astros lineup. Everything clicked for Lewis as he threw whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. He struck out nine and walked zero in the first complete game of his career.

Lewis retired the first 13 batters before Hunter Pence, a quick runner, blasted a hot shot to Michael Young, who bobbled the ball very briefly before throwing to first and Pence beat it. The play was quickly ruled a hit. But Pence was promptly back in the dugout when the next batter, Pedro Feliz, grounded into 6-4-3 twin killing. The only other hit came on a double by the speedy Michael Bourn. The Astros only run came in that inning after Bourn advanced to third on a groundout and scored on what was ruled a wild pitch that Max Ramirez should have blocked. In my opinion, it was a past ball.

In support of Lewis, Justin Smoak knocked in the first three runs of the game for the Rangers with a second-inning second-deck bomb off Astros starter Brian Moehler and a long single in the eighth. Prior to the home run, Houston native David Murphy forced 12 pitches out of Moehler on the way to a walk, his first of three on the night.

Vladimir Guerrero pinch hit for Max Ramirez in the eighth and added one to his RBI total, which ranks second-highest in the Majors. Young ran the lead to four with a home run in the ninth.

Moehler, who went six, did not pitch poorly; he was just outdone by Lewis. Anyone would have been.

Note: Josh Hamilton singled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 15 games.

An All-Around Good Start: Rangers 9 Astros 3

I’ve been saying Scott Feldman needs to pitch better. In seven innings, he accomplished that plus more in a 9-3 win for the Rangers over the Astros on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.

Leading off the third, Feldman doubled to right field to kick start an offensive explosion. Following Feldman’s two-bagger, three out of the next four batters walked. No surprise as far as Elvis Andrus goes but not nearly as common for Ian Kinsler and Vladimir Guerrero. Kinsler, who missed all but one game in April due to injury, has recently rediscovered his patience at the plate and earned three free passes Friday. Guerrero’s walk came on four pitches with the bases loaded. You can judge for yourself whether it was intentional. The walks helped Scott Feldman trot home and preserve his energy for the pitching mound.

With Feldman resting in the dugout, the Rangers kept going. Josh Hamilton (14-game hitting streak, 23 RBIs in June) walloped a two-RBI single and continues to blaze the path toward Player of the Month, Justin Smoak also on fire, delivered a two-RBI single. Unfortunately, Julio Borbon accounted for two of the outs in the inning, but when it was all over, six Rangers crossed the plate.

Don’t think that the Hamilton and Smoak’s firepower simply ended though. With two outs in the fifth, Hamilton tripled and Smoak deposited in the ball in the Crawford Boxes down the left field line for an 8-0 lead at the time. During a stretch of seven batters, the Rangers had two triples, a home run and a double.

The Astros rallied against Feldman for three runs in the sixth inning ­­for the only blemish of the night, Darren O’Day and Darren Oliver were spotless.

Excellent way to begin the annual Silver Boot Series!

Michael Young’s Night: Rangers 6 Marlins 3

C.J Wilson wouldn’t have directed it any better.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the eighth inning, Michael Young stroked a 2-2 pitch through the middle for career hit #1,748. The bases-loaded, two-run single off Jay Buente put Young at the top of the hit list for Rangers franchise history, one ahead of future Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez.

The hit couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for the Rangers. It transformed a then 3-2 lead into a more comfortable 5-2 advantage.

But what more could we expect. Young sets his standards higher than most and has become one of the premier two-strike clutch hitters in baseball, but he remains humble.

Young tied Pudge’s record one inning earlier with a double.

Winkler Helps Horned Frogs Get To Omaha For First Time: TCU 4 Texas 1

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Kyle Winkler shut down the potent Texas Longhorn lineup Sunday afternoon in the third and deciding game of the NCAA Baseball Super Regionals in Austin.

In 7 2/3 innings, Winkle allowed no runs on five hits and three walks. That’s even more impressive considering the Longhorns scored 14 runs Saturday.

Two of Winkler’s three walks came in first inning. But the Longhorns failed to score, setting a tone for the game.

The game, with a College World Series berth riding on its result, remained a scoreless tie through four innings.

TCU served as the tome team. In the bottom of the fifth, Horned Frog shortstop Taylor Featherston led off with a hustling double, advancing to third on an error in right field. Left fielder Jason Coats singled Featherston home in a game where runs seemed to be at a premium.

In the seventh and the eighth, the Horned Frogs expanded their lead with homers. With one out in the seventh, Featherston again got the offense started, this time with a walk. Two batters later, center fielder Aaron Schultz hit the ball over the wall for a 3-1 lead for his first hit of the series. Catcher Bryan Holaday added a solo shot in the eighth. Both long balls game off Chance Ruffin, who pitched three innings in relief of Brandon Workman

Tyler Lockwood picked up Winkler with a four-out save to complete the victory.

The Horned Frogs play Florida State in Omaha next weekend. Congratulations!

Too Little, Too Late: Mariners 4 Rangers 2

I hate to be a broken record, but Scott Feldman, who signed a big contract right before the season started, needs to pitch better.

There was a great example on the mound for the Mariners on Monday: Cliff Lee.

Lee stood atop the mound for all nine innings, although things got dicey in the ninth when the Rangers wiped away the shutout by scoring two runs. Michael Young began the rally with hit #1, 736 in his career and is now just 11 shy of Pudge Rodriguez. Kinsler also singled. The duo of Josh Hamilton and pinch hitter Justin Smoak, knocked Young and Kinsler in, respectively.

Hamilton played center field as Julio Borbon recuperated from playing Sunday’s entire 4 hour and 6 minute contest. Smoak pinch hit for Joaquin Arias, who manned first base for a similar reason.

I know they deserve it. I was there for the whole thing, too.

But with the exception of a blip (to the Rangers’ advantage), in the final inning, Lee kept his pitch count down, only using more than 20 pitches once, according to the TV broadcast. Feldman, on the other hand, required more than 20 pitches in all but one of his 5 2/3 innings.

All the earned runs off Feldman came on a Michael Saunders 3-rn homer in the second inning, set up by two singles.

While Feldman does not overpower hitters and succeeds more with groundouts, these numbers still say something.

Feldman: 4 K’s, 2 walks
Lee: 7 K’s, 0 walks

Hunter Halts Rays: Rangers 6 Rays 1

On Saturday, the Rangers turned the tables by scoring four of the own after two innings against the Rays. No comeback needed.

But this game really was about the pitching of Tommy Hunter. Hunter, called up earlier this week to replace the injured Derek Holland, pitched a complete game in near 100-degree heat as the Rangers won 6-1. The Rays have the top road record in the American League.

The key to Hunter’s day was an economical pitch count, no walks and just five hits in his first start of the year. In a postgame interview with Chris Rose, he took a shaving cream pie in the face.

The Rangers got three runs in the first off Rays starter James Shields, two of the courtesy of a Josh Hamilton long ball. It’s his second in as many days. Life at the plate without the toe tap seems to be going great!

Despite committing one of three errors in the game, Elvis Andrus had a double and a triple and two RBIs in the game.

Hamilton, 4th Inning Carry Rangers In Comeback: Rangers 9 Rays 6

When Josh Hamilton has a homer and a double in one inning, you know things are going well.

Hamilton, who bashed three extra base hits on the night, led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to put the Rangers within 4-3. It was the first hit and first run scored in an inning that would feature seven hits and seven run. The Rangers sent 11 men to the plate, meaning Hamilton and David Murphy each batted twice. Unfortunately, Murphy was tagged with the indignity of accounting for two outs in the inning on a flyout and a groundout.

The inning also included singles by Justin Smoak, Julio Borbon, Elvis Andrus and Michael Young (what’s new). Andrus’s and Young’s bases-loaded hits brought home one and two runs, respectively. But once again the biggest hit of the inning came from Vladimir Guerrero, who returned to the lineup in his personal palace after missing two games when a ball ricocheted and hit him in the eye during Wednesday’s batting practice. Guerrero’s double cleared the bags and resulted in the last three runs of the inning before Guerrero was thrown out at third with a smile on his face.

Smoak’s 2-run homer in the second set up the barrage in the fourth after the team sat in a 4-0 hole early. He also hit singles in the fourth and the fifth to complete his first 3-hit game as a Major Leaguer.

C.J. Wilson struggled, but made it through five innings for the victory. Darren O’Day, Matt Harrison, Darren Oliver, Frank Francisco and Neftali Feli all pitched in relief. Feliz hit two batters after striking out two in route to 15th save.

The Rays, who entered the game with the best record in the league, also hit two batters.

Former Ranger Hank Blalock received a warm reception when he pinch hit for Gabe Kapler, another former Ranger in the sixth. He was 0-for-2 with a groundout and a strikeout.

Rangers Can’t Pull Off Sweep: White Sox 4 Rangers 3

• Michael Young continues to be on a torrid base to break Pudge’s all-time Rangers hit record. With two more hits Thursday, he is now 14 hits away.
• Julio Borbon also registered too hits. Maybe that talk with Juan Pierre earlier in the series helped. Borbon stole second with Young up in an attempt to tie the game in the ninth inning.
• The Rangers scored single runs in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The only 2-run inning of the game came in the bottom of the seventh when White Sox right fielder Carlos Quentin went deep to end starter Colby Lewis’ night. The homer followed a careless ball drop by Quentin in right field on a David Murphy ball in the sixth that allowed the Rangers to eventually score.
• Lewis struck out seven batters in 6 1/3 innings compared to four strikeouts in seven innings for Freddy Garcia.
• Both bullpens were unscored upon.