The junior right-hander held Kent State hitless into the fifth inning and combined with Brandon Moore on a four-hitter Saturday in the Razorbacks' 8-1 victory that spoiled the Golden Flashes' first appearance in the College World Series.
Baxendale's performance was a lot different than his previous outing, when he allowed five runs in four innings in an 8-1 loss to Baylor in the super regionals.
"Against Baylor, I really felt like I let the team down," Baxendale said. "To come out here at this stage and be able to get us a victory in Game 1, it was huge for not only my confidence, but I think for the team's as well. We know any time you can win the first game, it just keeps building off that."
Baxendale and Moore got unexpected help from the bottom of the lineup. No. 9 batter Jake Wise homered for the first time since February and also hit a two-run single. No. 8 batter Matt Vinson hit a two-run double that gave Arkansas (45-20) a 5-1 lead in the sixth.
"My 3- and 4-holers didn't get a hit today, and we scored eight runs. Somebody got it going," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "That's a good sign."
Kent State (46-19), the first team from the Mid-American Conference to make it to the CWS since Eastern Michigan in 1976, couldn't get much going against Baxendale.
Baxendale didn't allow a hit until Sawyer Polen's infield single with two outs in the fifth. He held the Flashes scoreless until Jimmy Rider homered in the sixth.
"Baxendale was outstanding," Kent State coach Scott Stricklin said. "He kept us off balance. His fastball was sharp, and he throws the breaking ball when he's behind in the count. He really competes."
Baxendale (8-5) allowed three hits, giving way to Moore with one out in the seventh. He struck out five and walked one. Moore pitched the last 2 ⅔ innings for his third save.
Baxendale retired 14 of the first 15 batters he faced before Polen ripped a hard grounder up the middle for a base hit. Second baseman Bo Bigham made a great stop, but his throw to first was wide and late.
"I knew after the first inning he had it because he threw every fastball right where he wanted it in the first inning, and that's a telltale sign for him in watching him pitch for three years," Van Horn said. "It's been a big pleasure, and hopefully we'll get him out there again before this is over with."
Wearing their old-school gray uniforms with high socks, the Flashes struggled early against a Razorbacks team that was last in Omaha in 2009.
Kent State starter David Starn (11-4) walked three of the first four batters he faced and left after Vinson's two-out double in the sixth.
Starn threw 24 pitches in the first inning, eight for strikes, and walked the bases loaded before Brian Anderson's hard liner up the middle knocked off the pitcher's glove and brought home the first run. An inning-ending double play let Starn escape further damage.
"It was basically just a flaw in my mechanics," Starn said. "I wasn't really finishing my pitches. And I was leaving them arm-side, and that's basically what happened with the control issues and everything."
Wise made it 2-0 in the second when he went deep to left-center field for his second homer of the season, his first since Feb. 19, the second game of the season. It was the Razorbacks' first homer since May 19, the last day of the regular season.
Wise came into the game in a 6-for-22 slump with seven strikeouts and with two home runs in 77 career games.
"When I hit it, I thought it was a double," Wise said. "The wind was blowing out a little bit, and that helped it get out."
Vinson had been 4-for-26 with no RBI and eight strikeouts before he delivered his two-run double in the sixth.
The Flashes will try to stave off elimination playing in a bracket that includes two-time defending national champion South Carolina, No. 1 national seed Florida and an Arkansas team that just beat them.
"We've got to make sure that we're not just happy to be here," Stricklin said. "We want to compete and get some wins and make a run at it. It's still possible. We're still here."
Source: www.usatoday.com
Asda outshines competitors as sales for supermarkets stagnate - This is Money
By Neil Craven
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Asda has outshone its supermarket competitors in the battle for the Diamond Jubilee shopper, figures are expected to reveal this week.
Customers are understood to have responded to its Every Day Low Prices marketing message compared with discounts offered by competitors.
Recent sales figures from the chain’s three big rivals, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, have alerted the markets to an increasingly difficult grocery sector.
Reason to celebrate: Asda outsold all its main supermarket rivals
Until the past 12 months, supermarkets were regarded as well insulated from the consumer downturn.
The market share data released by market researcher Kantar on Tuesday is expected to show Asda led the pack in the four weeks to June 10.
Asda is closely monitored when Kantar issues data because it is the only one of the four biggest grocers, whose combined sales are more than 100billion, that does not issue trading numbers to the London Stock Exchange. It is owned by US retailer Wal-Mart.
Analysts believe that the grocers are now firmly fixed on a fight for market share because sales in the sector are not growing. Volume sales of food are falling because consumers are cutting back on waste and discounts have also helped to pull back inflation.
Last week, Financial Mail revealed that for the first time, Tesco, the largest of the big four supermarkets, and Morrisons are on course to report a drop in profit during their current financial year.
Sources say the most recent indications suggest Asda is taking market share off both. However, they have also warned that Tesco is getting ready for a major fightback this autumn. Meanwhile, with its AGM looming, Tesco faces other concerns.
An obscure pension fund called the Change to Win Investment Group, which works with the pension funds of four major US trade unions, said it plans to table a motion at this year’s meeting on June 29 demanding Tesco set up a separate non-executive board for its US business.
It is understood that the arrangement would make it easier for investors to force the closure of its US arm Fresh & Easy, which continues to perform less well than expected.
It said if the board rejects its proposal it would then ask shareholders to vote against the resolution to receive the report and accounts.
Chief executive Phil Clarke has already dismissed calls to shelve the business. Since its arrival in America in 2007, Tesco has faced battles with unions that have demanded recognition from the company.
Source: www.thisismoney.co.uk
Kent State routed by Arkansas - The News & Observer
Schoonover Stadium underwent $4 million in renovations between 2005 and 2007. As for what "the rest of the way" means, Lefton said Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen and baseball coach Scott Stricklin should come up with "a series of strategic things we should be doing for us to continue to come back here every year."
"He called me when we were on the field celebrating at Oregon," Stricklin said. "When the president calls, you pick it up.
"We've got some things to do at Kent State, some things to build. That's what we've talked about from Day One that I've been here. It's been eight years. We want to continue to build and get bigger and better. Just because we're here doesn't mean we're going to stop."
Nielsen said schools do not get a share of revenue like in the NCAA basketball tournament. But the university will receive some money from merchandise sales.
"I'm real curious to see next quarter's report," Nielsen said. "The guys on the radio were doing a snapshot of these tents and they said the two biggest sellers were Stony Brook and Kent State."
Lefton said lights should help Stricklin in recruiting and scheduling.
"We've got some very strong supporters of baseball, of coach Stricklin and our team and I'm going to try to reprioritize some internal resources to get this done as a vote of confidence and a thank you to make it easier for the coach to recruit," Lefton said. "Win, lose or draw today, getting here is very important. It shows we've got the stuff to compete at a national level."
Bagoly's mother dies
The "CM" sticker worn by Kent State players on their caps and helmets was in memory of Jason Bagoly's mother Cheryl McHenry, who passed away unexpectedly Thursday night. A junior catcher from Austintown Fitch, Bagoly elected to stay with the team because funeral arrangements have not been finalized.
"We all feel awful for Jason," Stricklin said. "We gave him the option if he wanted to fly home, but most of his family's here and his second family, his team, is here."
Bagoly was on deck to bat in the ninth inning when the game ended on George Roberts' double-play grounder to short and T.J. Sutton's groundout.
"He's going to get an at-bat for sure on Monday. He's been a great hitter for us," Stricklin said of Bagoly, hitting .264. "Our prayers are with his family and our thoughts are with him. He's gotten a lot of hugs from our kids the last couple days. We love him to death and he loves us back because he wants to stay with us."
Toasting Cribbs
Lisa Skulina didn't think she could afford a trip to the College World Series. A 49-year-old single working mother, she wanted to follow her son Tyler, a Walsh Jesuit product who pitches third in Kent State's starting rotation. Then about 10:45 p.m. Thursday, she got a call from Josh Cribbs' assistant. Two spots on the bus chartered by the Browns receiver had become available, the $150 price tag also covering a hotel room and game ticket. Lisa Skulina and her 24-year-old daughter Amanda had to be ready to board the bus at 7:30 Friday morning.
Lisa and Amanda Skulina were among a crowd of more than 400 KSU fans that packed the second floor of the Old Mattress Factory Bar and Grille for an alumni reception before Saturday's game. Many wore "Flash Mob" T-shirts with "Team Cribbs" on the back, given to those on the bus. Cribbs didn't make the journey, which took 16 hours, including two food stops, but climbed aboard to give a pre-trip speech and shook everyone's hands before it left. The former KSU quarterback flew in Saturday evening. Also in attendance was Ben Curtis, the 2003 British Open champion from Stow.
Joe Chaffin, 19, and Cory Carney, 19, both of Creston and Norwayne High School, were among those who survived the bus ride, arriving at 11:30 p.m. Friday.
"It was rowdy times 10," Carney said.
"I slept in 20-minute naps," Chaffin said. "There weren't very many dull moments."
Chaffin has been amazed at the television cameras following them, including ESPN.
"Everyone comes up and says, 'Were you on the Cribbs' bus? We're famous," Chaffin said.
KSU graduates Liz Sauer, 26, and her friend Mandy Grodin, 33, thought about driving from Cleveland before buying tickets on the bus. Sauer is one of four members of the athletic department grounds crew.
"It was a party," Grodin said. "Iowa was very long."
'92 reunion
Several members of the 1992 Golden Flashes baseball team were among those at the reception. They played with Stricklin, an All-Mid-American Conference catcher in 1992 and '93.
"We all knew Scott was building the program the last couple years, especially last year beating Texas," said Sean Freeman, a former KSU first baseman from Ashtabula, in reference to the 2011 NCAA Tournament. "I'm happy and exhilarated. But surprised? Not really."
Kevin Zellers, a former third baseman from Cleveland who now lives in Dallas, has been paying close attention to KSU's NCAA games on television.
"It's almost like you're there with Scott," Zellers said. "You fully understand what's going on. When a guy was picked off first base, I knew that was coming."
Source: www.newsobserver.com
As M&S becomes latest supermarket to offer 'quality' budget lines one mother shows how you can save £750 a year without tasting the difference - Daily Mail
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Its food is a byword for quality — at a price. But now M&S has launched a range of ‘basic’ products at knock-down prices. In the past year, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco have also updated their cut-price value ranges, so how does the new Simply M&S selection compare? Mother-of-three AMANDA CABLE finds out...
BAKED BEANS
SIMPLY M&S Baked beans in rich tomato sauce
Simply M&S, 40p for 410g
Verdict: Sweet and almost identical to market leader Heinz, which cost 69p for 415g, a saving of almost 29p a tin – which in our household is 87p a week, or 48.72 a year. Simply M&S contained far more juice than the rival Essential Waitrose. Score: 7/10
We also tried: Morrisons M Savers (28p per tin), Asda Smart Price (26p per 410g), Essential Waitrose (41p per 400g), Sainsbury’s Basics Beans in Tomato sauce (26p for 420g), The Co-operative Simply Value (30p for 410g), Tesco Everyday Value Baked Beans (26p for 420g).
Overall winner: Morrisons M Savers. Thick, tasty beans for just 28p a tin – a saving for my family of 68.88 a year. In our own ‘blind’ taste test, my bean-loving children preferred these to Heinz and M&S.
Avoid: Asda Smartprice Baked Beans — mushy, with too much sauce and not enough flavour.
SIMPLY M&S Sliced white bread
SLICED WHITE BREAD
Simply M&S, 69p for 800g
Verdict: What a winner. It has a fresh smell, a soft texture and is incredibly tasty. Market leader Hovis costs 1.25 for a loaf the same size, so this switch represents a saving of 56p a time, which is a whopping 53.76 a year for my family. A good switch, especially because all the other budget alternatives tasted of plastic. 10/10
We also tried: Asda Smart Price sliced white bread (47p for 800g), Essential Waitrose (69p for 800g), The Co-operative (59p for 800g), Morrisons M Savers (47p for 800g), Tesco Everyday Value sliced white bread (47p for 800g).
Overall winner: Simply M&S. The only budget bread worth buying.
Avoid: All the other budget breads, but particularly offerings from Asda Smart Price and The Co-operative, which were dry, thin, tasteless and curled when toasted.
SIMPLY M&S 8 Pork Sausages
PORK SAUSAGES
Simply M&S, 1.19 for 454g
Verdict: The pork content is just 60 per cent — hence the budget price — and the taste was average. I normally buy Debbie & Andrew’s Harrogate Pork Sausages at 2.39 for 400g. Switching to Simply M&S would save me 1.20 a go — or 67 a year. But my children preferred other budget sausages which cost even less. 5/10
We also tried: Morissons M Savers Pork Sausages (56p for 8), Essential Waitrose (1.27 for 8), Asda Smart Price (84p for 12), Tesco Everyday Value (56p for 8).
Overall winner: Asda Smart Price. We cooked these alongside our Essential Waitrose sausages and couldn’t tell the difference. Golden, crisp skin and tasty pork inside. Morrisons M Savers were also delicious.
Avoid: Sainsbury’s Basics — lacked any real flavour.
SIMPLY M&S Orange juice
ORANGE JUICE
Simply M&S, 1.20 for 1litre
Verdict: Superb taste, which equalled market leader Tropicana (2.28 for 1litre). So by switching to Simply M&S, I will save a hefty 1.08 a carton, and 12.96 a month. But when we tried other budget juices, we found we could make even bigger savings, without compromising on taste. 8/10
We also tried: Morissons M Savers Orange juice (56p for 1L), Essential Waitrose (1.20 for 1L), Asda Smart Price (56p for 1L), The Co-operative Simply Value (1.69 for 2L), Tesco Everyday Value (56p for 1L).
Overall winner: The Co-operative. Smooth, great value and the children didn’t notice the difference between it and brand leader Tropicana.
Avoid: Asda Smart Price — drink too much and it tastes like wallpaper stripper.
WAFER THIN HAM
SIMPLY M&S British wafer thin ham
Simply M&S Wafer Thin Ham, 1 for 120g
Verdict: Top marks for this fresh, wafer-thin ham, with no fat. Nothing cut-price here, and it would save me more than 200 a year. M&S has knocked 9p off the price since re-launching it within the Simply Range. 10/10
We also tried: Essential Waitrose – runner up (2.39 for 2x90g), Morrisons M Savers cooked ham (1.65 for 400g), The Co-operative (1.73 for 400g) Tesco Everyday Value (61p for 125g) Sainsbury’s Basics (1.65 for 400g). Asda Smart Price cooked ham (61p for 125g).
Overall winner: Simply M&S. Not only delicious, but stayed fresh for longer. Essential Waitrose was equally tasty but dried up faster.
Avoid: Morrisons M Savers ham — grey-coloured, watery and processed. One mouthful was enough, and even our dogs turned up their noses!
BEEF MINCE
SIMPLY M&S lean Minced Beef
Simply M&S, 2.70 for 500g
Verdict: Superb. A dark colour with little fat and an annual saving of 36.40. We found the budget rivals were high in fat and salt and looked, as my son Charlie put it, ‘like pale, fat worms’. 9/10
We also tried: Morrisons M Savers beef and pork mince (2.49 for 800g), Asda Smart Price (1.56 for 500g), Tesco Everyday Value (1.56 for 500g).
Overall winner: Essential Waitrose (2.09 for 250g). Low in fat and salt, and a rich, deep colour. Simply M&S came a close second — showing that when it comes to mince, you get what you pay for.
Avoid: Asda Smart Price — fatty, and tasted metallic when fried.
WEETABIX
Simply M&S Wheat Bisks, 1.49 for 24
Verdict: Market leaders Weetabix cost 2.17 for 24. So this swap is worth 68p a go, or 32.64 a year for my family, and you won’t even notice the difference. Since re-launching their Wheat Bisks in their new Simply range, M&S has shaved 40p off the price per packet — one of its biggest cuts yet. 8/10
We also tried: Sainsbury’s Basics Wholewheat Biscuits (75p for 24) Essential Waitrose (1.49 for 24) Morrisons M Savers (63p for 24) Tesco Everyday Value Wheat Biscuits (63p for 24)
Overall winner: Sainsbury’s Basics. As tasty as the market leaders but at a price which makes sense to every household.
Avoid: Asda Smart Price — small and liable to disintegrate as you take them from the packet.
CHOCOLATE DIGESTIVES
SIMPLY M&S Milk Chocolate Digestive Biscuits
Simply M&S, 86p for 300g
Verdict: Brand leader McVitie’s cost 1.75 for 400g — so the M&S version saves just under 89p a go, or almost 7 a month in our house. Impressively thick layer of chocolate, but it wasn’t the only budget range to triumph. 7/10
We also tried: Sainsbury’s Basics Milk Chocolate Digestives (41p for 300g), Asda Smart Price, (41p for 300g), The Co-Operative Simply Value (48p for 300g) Essential Waitrose (95p for 400g), Tesco Everyday Value (30p for 400g).
Overall winner: Asda Smart Price milk choc digestives. Identical to the delicious M&S biscuits (according to six children — mine and their friends — wearing blindfolds) but far cheaper.
Avoid: Paying extra for any brand name. Every budget biscuit we tried was delicious.
BUTTER
SIMPLY M&S English salted butter
Simply M&S English Salted Butter, 1.39 for 250g
Verdict: Creamy and delicious. A good swap for our usual Lurpak, which costs 1.60 for 250g. Choosing the Simply butter would save 21p a go — or shave 20.16 off my yearly butter bill. 8/10
We also tried: Asda Smart Price Butter (1.19 for 250g), Sainsbury’s Basics Salted Butter (1.19 for 150g), The Co-Operative Simply Value butter (1.25 for 250g), Morrisons M Savers (1.19 for 250g), Essential Waitrose (1.19 for 250g), Tesco Everyday Value (1.19 for 250g).
Overall winner: The Co-operative Simply Value. Smooth, easy to spread but with a delicious salty taste. Just as good as our favourite Lurpak butter, but 35p cheaper.
Avoid: Tesco Everyday Value — a nasty yellow colour and appalling packaging.
SIMPLY M&S Peanut Butter
PEANUT BUTTER
Simply M&S, 1.38 for 340g
Verdict: Smooth, sweet and just as tasty as market leader Sunpat, which costs 1.49 for 340g. At 11p less for the Simply M&S version, this is a saving of 41 a year. 7/10
We also tried: Asda Smart Price (62p for 340g), Sainsbury’s Basics (62p for 340g), Morrisons M Savers (62p for 340g), Essential Waitrose (1.31 for 340g), Tesco Everyday Value Peanut Butter (62p for 340g).
Overall winner: Asda Smart Price. Packed with nuts, and bursting with taste. In our blind taste test, the children rated this higher than M&S.
Avoid: Paying through the nose for brand labels, as all the budget ranges were delicious.
TEA BAGS
SIMPLY M&S Tea Bags 160
Simply M&S 80 Red Label Teabags, 1.31 for 80
Verdict: Strong, bursting with flavour and refreshing. A great alternative to our usual PG Tips, which cost 2.49 for 80, saving me 1.18 a time, or 28.32 a year. But other budgets teas fared well, with M Savers and Waitrose coming a close second. 10/10
We also tried: Asda Smart Price (27p for 80), Morrisons M Savers round tea bags (27p for 80), Essential Waitrose (80p for 80), Tesco Everyday Value Teabags (27p for 80).
Overall winner: Simply M&S for flavour, but M Savers was also a winner for great value with taste.
Avoid: Asda Smart Price — very weak, lacking in flavour and the colour of dishwater.
SIMPLY M&S 4 rolls toilet tissue
TOILET ROLL
Simply M&S Two-Ply toilet tissue, 1.99 for four rolls
Verdict: Disappointing. Felt and looked like a budget product, yet saved only 9p compared with market leader Andrex, though over a year this adds up to 4.32. 3/10
We also tried: Tesco Everyday Value (70p for four rolls), Sainsbury’s Basics (1.96 for six rolls), Essential Waitrose (1.88 for four rolls), Asda Smart Price (70p for four rolls), Morrisons M Savers (1.31 for four rolls).
Overall winner: Essential Waitrose. Soft and such good quality that you won’t be able to tell the difference between this and Andrex.
Avoid: Asda Smart Price — rough texture and hard-to-flush cheap paper. Your bottom deserves better!
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Kent’s chief constable honoured by the Queen - Kent News
Chief Constable Ian Learmonth
Saturday, June 16, 2012
10:45 AM
Ian Learmonth among a list of the county’s finest to be recognised in the birthday honour’s list
Kent’s chief constable has received the prestigious Queen’s Police Medal in the birthday honours list.
Ian Learmonth, who joined Kent Police in July 2010, was among a list of the county’s finest to be recognised for their services and work in the county.
The chief constable was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal, which is given to officers for distinguished service.
Mr Learmonth joined Essex Police as a Cadet in 1974, and served with the force in a variety of uniform operational roles until 2005 when he was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police.
In that role he led the major police operation for the G8 summit in 2005, and the policing response to the attack on Glasgow Airport by terrorists in 2007.
He was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable of Norfolk Police in 2007, where he led a major programme to redesign the force to put more officers on the frontline.
In July 2010, he was promoted to Chief Constable of Kent Police. His work with the force has been praised by both the Prime Minister in August 2011 during the disorder that gripped the country, and by the Home Secretary.
Mr Learmonth is the national lead for the police service on public order policing, a role he was given after last summer’s disorder.
He said he was both delighted and humbled to receive the Queen’s Police Medal.
“The success of Kent Police is down to the hard work and deep sense of public service of my officers and staff,” he said.
“I have not worked with a more dedicated team.
“I don’t consider what I do to be special, but I’ve worked with some amazing people over the years and seen the profound impact that effective policing has on people’s lives.”
Deputy Chief Constable Alan Pughsley added: “Ian Learmonth has given 38 years of his life to selflessly serving the community in a variety of difficult and dangerous police roles.
“He is an exemplary police officer who has always put the public first. It is a privilege to serve under his leadership, and this award from the Queen is very richly deserved and brings honour to the force as a whole.”
Director of Turner Contemporary, Victoria Pomery, was honoured with an OBE for services to the arts.
Ms Pomery runs the hugely successful gallery in Margate, which attracted more than half a million visitors in its first year of opening.
Others recognised in the honours list were leading hop grower Tony Redsell, who farms across Kent, who was awarded an OBE for services to the UK’s hop industry; Sally Anne Sweeney Carroll, founder and mentor of Transport for Sick Children, who received an MBE for services to child care; and Professor Christopher John Rudge, formerly national clinical director for transplantation and consultant in renal transplantation, who was honoured with CBE for services to transplantation and organ donation.
Mary Butcher, from Canterbury, and Heather Clemence, from Tonbridge, were both recognised for their talents and services to the community.
Ms Butcher was awarded an MBE for services to basket making after 35 years in the industry.
She said: “When I first saw a letter from the cabinet office, I wondered what I had done. Then I opened it and I couldn’t quite believe it.
“It’s such an honour, not just for me personally, but for the craft too.
“I have taught people in the last 35 years who have become traditional basket makers, and I have taught people to think differently about the basket making process.”
Heather Clemence has volunteered at Sevenoaks’ British Heart Foundation branch for more than 30 years and received a British Empire Medal for her long service.
She said: “I was completely surprised because I had no idea about it at all. I got it through my charity work which my husband and I have been doing since 1978.
“The award of the BEM is a great surprise and honour. I must share it with all those who, over more than 30 years, worked together as fundraisers.
“But most of all I will always remember the friendship we all shared, the happy meetings, the fun which we all had over coffee and biscuits and the pleasure of fundraising events.”
Source: www.kentnews.co.uk
Stony Brook and Kent State Hoping the Clock Doesn’t Strike Midnight - YAHOO!
Two Cinderella stories. Two tales. One hope -- that their stories won't end any time soon.
The relatively unknown Stony Brook Seawolves went on a remarkable run during the NCAA tournament, winning once in Miami and twice in LSU to advance to the 2012 College World Series. Vendors in Omaha had a hard time meeting the demand for Stony Brook baseball caps as fans embraced the team as its own.
Stony Brook head coach Matt Senk sensed the support of fans in Omaha from the time his team arrived.
"Today was amazing," Senk said in the pre-series press conference. "The autograph session was just blowing our minds. And the people of Omaha, since we've been here have been absolutely incredible. But our attention will be turning back to baseball. And they feel very good about what they've accomplished to this point. I think they don't want to disappoint. More than anything, they don't want to disappoint each other, and not go out there and play their very best."
But fans had little to cheer for in Stony Brook's first game. The UCLA Bruins jumped all over Stony Brook starter Tyler Johnson for five runs in the first inning and cruised to 9-1 win.
The Kent State Golden Flashes made their own improbable run, defeating the Oregon Ducks in the best of three series in their super regional to advance to Omaha for the first time in school history. If it weren't for the Seawolves, the Golden Flashes would be the talk of Omaha. But like Stony Brook, they lost big, 8-1 to the Arkansas Razorbacks in their first game of the CWS on Saturday, June 16.
After that loss, Kent State head coach Scott Stricklin was asked what positives his team can take away from that game and his answer showed how much he believes in the magic of the CWS atmosphere in Omaha.
"Well, I told the guys to look around," Stricklin said. "We're in Omaha. That's the positive. This team has battled so hard and no one expected us to be here.
"I mean, we hoped to be here. But I don't think one guy would, before the season, have said we're going to be here. And so I think that's the positive, that we're in Omaha. We have an opportunity to show the world we're a really good baseball team."
The next time both teams take the field, they will face the possibility of elimination. Stony Brook plays the Florida State Seminoles on Sunday, June 17. Kent State plays the loser of Game 4, between the South Carolina Gamecocks and Florida Gators, on Monday, June 18.
Both teams know they have their work cut out for them.
"As far as coming back on Sunday, we've been in this position before in the regional, the super regional," said Stony Brook catcher Pat Cantwell in the postgame press conference on Friday, June 15. "It's like that. We have to fight back from the bottom. So the team's got a lot of heart, and we'll come out on Sunday ready to play and we'll give it everything we've got."
"I told the guys in right field [after the loss to Arkansas], we either play the number one team in the country [Florida] or the two-time defending national champion [South Carolina]," Stricklin said. "So we've got a tough task ahead of us."
After Kent State's loss, I had a chance to talk to Stricklin one-on-one and I mentioned that Omaha normally gets behind the Cinderella team, but this year there are two Cinderella teams, and unfortunately, in his case, the fans are all in with the Seawolves. I wondered if Kent State felt the support of Omaha, even with Stony Brook getting so much attention.
"I think people appreciate what we've done," Stricklin told me. "But yeah, it's great for Stony Brook. They deserve to be here. They won 50-plus games. After watching them play LSU on TV, they were really, really good. I know they are disappointed like we are in the way they played against UCLA. They ran into a buzzsaw and UCLA beat them.
"They deserve to be here. We deserve to be here. And I'm glad we're in different brackets. We can get some attention on this side, and that's ok."
"We were a little bit more under the radar in Gary, Indiana and Eugene, Oregon [where they played their regional and super regional games, respectively]" Stricklin added. "But we still deserve to be here too. We'll take all the support that we can get from the fans in Omaha."
Lee Warren is a freelance writer who lives in Omaha, Nebraska and is covering the 2012 College World Series for YCN.
Source: news.yahoo.com
Kent State baseball: Arkansas beats KSU 8-1 - Akron Beacon Journal
OMAHA, Neb.: The two darlings of the College World Series could be going home quickly.
On Saturday, Kent State’s first trip to Omaha was spoiled with an 8-1 opening-game loss to Arkansas.
On Monday at 5 p.m., the Golden Flashes (46-19) will face either top-seeded Florida or two-time defending champion South Carolina. Those two, who squared off in Saturday’s second game, have a combined 19 trips to Omaha.
“Experience is one thing, but the talent’s the other,” KSU coach Scott Stricklin said of his two possible foes. “Those teams are loaded. You can’t wish for one or the other.”
On Friday, national underdog and fellow CWS rookie Stony Brook was summarily dispatched, drubbed 9-1 by 2011 runner-up UCLA. Today, the Long Island school takes on Florida State, making its 21st appearance in Omaha.
KSU starter David Starn (11-4), a senior from Walsh Jesuit, struggled for the second consecutive start. After walking a career-high seven in a victory over Oregon in the super regional, Starn issued six free passes against Arkansas. In the first inning, when he walked three of the first four batters, eight of his first 11 pitches were balls.
“His arm speed has not been there the last couple outings,” KSU pitching coach Mike Birkbeck said of Starn, recently drafted in the seventh round by the Atlanta Braves.
“It was basically just a flaw in my mechanics. I wasn’t really finishing my pitches. It’s just running away from me a little bit,” Starn said, echoing what he’d said Friday about his outing against Oregon. “I wasn’t really nervous coming into the game. Coach Birkbeck came in after the first inning and we talked about it. I thought I got it a little bit under control as the game went on. Arkansas is a great hitting team and they took advantage of a couple mistakes.”
Starn escaped the shaky first by allowing just one run, with senior shortstop Jimmy Rider minimizing the damage with an inning-ending double play. The Razorbacks also touched Starn for a run in the second, with No. 9 hitter Jake Wise rapping his second home run of the season to left field, and one in the fifth on an RBI single to right by designated hitter Joe Serrano.
For the Golden Flashes, the turning point came after Rider put KSU on the board with a solo home run down the left-field line in the top of the sixth.
Starn retired the first two batters, then gave up a double over the third-base bag to second baseman Bo Bigham and walked left fielder Derrick Bleeker. To the plate came center fielder Matt Vinson, whom Starn had struck out his previous two times up.
“That was his last hitter,” Stricklin said. “Coach Birkbeck was ready to bring him out, bring in Ryan Mace, right on right, and I told him, ‘This guy hadn’t had a good look on David all night. Let’s keep him in there.’ ”
Vinson responded with a two-run double to the left-field corner, giving Arkansas a 5-1 lead.
“I take credit for that 5-1,” Stricklin said. “That’s on me.”
Stricklin also credited Arkansas for its patience at the plate against Starn.
“David faced 26 hitters and only two of them swung at the first pitch,” Stricklin said. “I think that was the key.
“They got ahead in the count. They had the plan to stay patient. David gets a lot of swings and misses on first pitches that are balls. They had a good scouting report.”
Kent State mustered only three hits off Arkansas starter D.J. Baxendale, who had allowed a total of nine runs in his two previous starts. Going 6⅓ innings, Baxendale (8-5) walked one and struck out five.
“He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes,” Rider said. “On that [home run] swing, I was looking for a fastball and that was probably the one pitch he left up all night.”
Stricklin coached Baxendale last summer on USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team.
“D.J. Baxendale was outstanding,” Stricklin said. “He kept us off-balance. His fastball was sharp and he threw the breaking ball behind in the count. Knowing him from the summer we told our guys, ‘He’s really going to compete,’ and he was on, too.”
After Rider’s homer, Kent State’s best threat came in the seventh, when T.J. Sutton singled and Nick Hamilton walked. Sawyer Polen advanced the runners with a groundout to short, but Alex Miklos flew out to center to end the inning.
Stricklin wants the Golden Flashes to enjoy the trip to Omaha, but looks for a more determined effort Monday.
“We’ve got to make sure that we’re not just happy to be here,” Stricklin said. “We want to compete and get some wins and make a run at it. It’s still possible. We’re still here. But playing [one] of those two teams, lots of talent, lots of experience, it’s going to be a tough task.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at http://www.ohio.com/marla.
Source: www.ohio.com
Kent batters go hitless into 5th as Flashes drop opening game - Toledo Blade
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OMAHA -- Arkansas' DJ Baxendale bounced back from one of his worst starts of the year to turn in his best.
The junior right-hander held Kent State hitless into the fifth inning and combined with Brandon Moore on a four-hitter Saturday in the Razorbacks' 8-1 victory that spoiled the Golden Flashes' first appearance in the College World Series.
Baxendale's performance was a lot different than his previous outing, when he was hit for five runs in four innings in an 8-1 loss to Baylor in the super regionals.
"Against Baylor, I really felt like I let the team down," Baxendale said. "To come out here at this stage and be able to get us a victory in Game 1, it was huge for not only my confidence but I think for the team's as well. We know any time you can win the first game, it just keeps building off that."
Baxendale and Moore got some unexpected help from the bottom of the lineup. No. 9 batter Jake Wise homered for the first time since February and also hit a two-run single. No. 8 batter Matt Vinson hit a two-run double that gave Arkansas (45-20) a 5-1 lead in the sixth.
"My 3 and 4 holers didn't get a hit today and we scored eight runs. Somebody got it going," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "That's a good sign."
Kent State (46-19), the first team from the Mid-American Conference to make it to the CWS since Eastern Michigan in 1976, couldn't get much going against Baxendale.
Baxendale didn't allow a hit until Sawyer Polen's infield single with two out in the fifth. He held the Flashes scoreless until Jimmy Rider homered in the sixth.
"DJ Baxendale was outstanding," Kent State coach Scott Stricklin said. "He kept us off balance. His fastball was sharp and he throws the breaking ball when he's behind in the count. He really competes."
Baxendale (8-5) allowed three hits, giving way to Moore with one out in the seventh. He struck out five and walked one. Moore pitched the last 2 2-3 innings for his third save.
Baxendale retired 14 of the first 15 batters he faced before Polen ripped a hard grounder up the middle for a base hit. Second baseman Bo Bigham made a great stop, but his throw to first was wide and late.
"I knew after the first inning he had it because he threw every fastball right where he wanted it in the first inning, and that's a telltale sign for him in watching him pitch for three years," Van Horn said. "It's been a big pleasure, and hopefully we'll get him out there again before this is over with."
Wearing their old-school gray uniforms with high socks, the Flashes struggled early against a Razorbacks team that was last in Omaha in 2009.
Kent State starter David Starn (11-4) walked three of the first four batters he faced and left after Vinson's two-out double in the sixth.
Starn threw 24 pitches in the first inning, just eight for strikes, and walked the bases loaded before Brian Anderson's hard liner up the middle knocked off the pitcher's glove and brought home the first run. An inning-ending double play let Starn escape further damage.
"It was basically just a flaw in my mechanics," Starn said. "I wasn't really finishing my pitches. And I was leaving them arm-side, and that's basically what happened with the control issues and everything."
Wise made it 2-0 in the second when he went deep to left center for his second homer of the season, and first since the second game of the season on Feb. 19. It was the Razorbacks' first homer since May 19, the last day of the regular season.
The Flashes will now try to stave off elimination playing in a bracket that includes two-time defending national champion South Carolina, No. 1 national seed Florida and an Arkansas team that just beat them.
"We've got to make sure that we're not just happy to be here," Stricklin said. "We want to compete and get some wins and make a run at it. It's still possible. We're still here."
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Source: www.toledoblade.com
So I have to drive to 6 or so Supermarkets to save a few hundred pounds a year. Do I walk all those miles with heavy bags, or do I use the car and spend a few hundred pounds extra on fuel, not to mention the few hundred extra hours?
- Kuri, UK, 16/6/2012 10:40
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