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In Major League Baseball's 2004 First Year Player Draft conducted in June, eight Long Beach State Dirtbags were selected: Jered Weaver (junior RHP, 1st round), Jason Vargas (junior LHP, 2nd round), John Bowker (redshirt sophmore OF, 3rd round), Brad Davis (junior catcher, 5th round), Neil Jamison (junior RHP, 8th round), Mike Hofius (senior 1B, 22nd round) and Josh Buhagiar (senior OF, 32nd round). All except Weaver and Jamison have signed contracts with the clubs that drafted them.

The Anaheim Angels continue to negotiate with Jered, but from this article in the Pasadena Star-News its doesn't appear that a deal is near:

"Weaver impasse looming

By Gabe Lacques , Staff Writer

The first day of the fall semester at Long Beach State came and went Monday, and a school official confirmed that unsigned Angels first-round pick Jered Weaver will not enroll this year. That ensures that the Angels will retain rights to the 12th overall selection.

That hardly was a surprise, and Angels scouting director Eddie Bane noted that the club "didn't have any scouts posted in front of Biology 101.' But with another checkpoint in the negotiating process passed, the specter of an extended impasse between Weaver and the Angels looms larger, much to their consternation.

The Angels are not willing to offer an eight-figure contract to Weaver, which would be what his adviser, Scott Boras, indicated might be necessary to sign his client when he compared him to former USC star Mark Prior, who received a $10 million package from the Chicago Cubs in 2001..."

Neil Jamison Will Return to the Dirtbags

As has been speculated, Neil Jamison has decided to forego signing with the New York Mets and return for his senior year at Long Beach State. This is from a publication in Neil's hometown, the Ramona Home Journal (read the rest of the article here):

"Ramona's Neil Jamison was selected by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the June baseball draft, but the right-handed pitcher is leaning toward a return to Cal State University Long Beach for his senior year.

"I didn't go as high as I thought I was going to, from what I heard from scouts," Jamison said. "I think I can get more out of going back for one more year."...

"They offered fair money for the round that I was drafted in," he said. "It seems like a lot of money, but in the big picture, it's really not."

Returning to school also would increase his chances of obtaining his college degree. Jamison is three semesters shy of a degree; if he goes through his senior year, he will have only one semester to complete after he turns professional, while three semesters would be more difficult with a professional baseball player's schedule...

Another advantage of returning for his senior year is the chance to play in the College World Series. "The reason I went there was to go to the College World Series," Jamison said...

"Hopefully, we can make another run at the World Series,' Jamison said.

In his three years at Long Beach State, Jamison has a won-loss record of 9-8 and an ERA of 3.49. His 15 saves rank him third on the 49ers' all-time career list, while his 77 appearances tie him for third on the all-time team list."

From baseball.com:

"SALEM-KEIZER VOLCANOES - ...John Bowker and Todd Jennings each drove in three runs in a 10-4 win over Eugene on Saturday..."

How's that for some punch in wooden Dirtbag bats?!

From baseball.com:

"PORTLAND SEA DOGS - ...Abe Alvarez was the Sea Dogs' best pitcher. In two starts, Alvarez went 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 14 strikeouts..."

From the Miami Herald:

"Jason Vargas, the Marlins second-round pick in the June amateur draft, combined on a no-hitter for Single A Greensboro on Thursday, pitching the first seven innings in a 3-0 win over Savannah."

From baseball.com:

"INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS - ...Jeff Liefer led the offense as he collected three home runs and eight RBI to lead the club. His .455 batting average was second to Peter Bergeron."

From the North County Times:

"...first baseman Paul McAnulty and...have been assigned to the Peoria Javelinas for the Arizona Fall League season.

McAnulty, a 12th-round pick out of Long Beach State in 2002, is hitting .303 with 23 homers and 83 RBIs."

The North County Times also reports here that Paul has been named the Advanced Class A Lake Elsinor Storm's (San Diego) MVP for 2004.

From baseball.com:

"WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS - Wisconsin struggled this past week in all facets of the game and it showed in their record as they ended the week on a four- game losing streak and finished 1-5 overall. Nick Orlandos was the only regular to bat above .300 as he hit .304 with one home run and two RBI in six games."

Get information here on a fundraiser for the Long Beach State Dirtbags, to be held September 9 at Chimayo at the Beach in Huntington Beach. 2004 College Player of the Year Jered Weaver will be honored.

Check out the wrap up on Dirtbags players' records in summer ball at longbeachstate.com.

From baseball.com here:

"NO RUNS, NO HITS, NO PROBLEM

Jason Vargas, Nathan Nowicki and Carlos Martinez combined to toss a no-hitter as the Greensboro Bats shut down the Savannah Sand Gnats, 3-0, in South Atlantic League action on Thursday night. Vargas tossed seven dominant innings and tallied 10 strikeouts before being relieved by Nowicki. Nowicki got into some trouble when Marcos Yepez reached on an error and Trey Webb and Jerry Owens walked to load the bases. Nowicki pitched out of the jam and got Reggie Fitzpatrick to ground out to end the inning and keep the no-hit bid in tact. Martinez closed out the game and the no-hitter by picking up his fifth save. Kevin Randel collected two hits and drove in two runs for the Bats, who improved to 24-35 in the second half and won their sixth straight game. Vargas, who made his 2nd start since being promoted from Jamestown of the New York-Penn League, is 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA for the Bats."

Former Dirtbag Jason Vargas was a 2nd round pick in 2004 by the Marlins. LBSU SS Kevin Randel was a 13th round pick by Florida in the 2002 draft.

From heraldnet.com (read it here):

"...Coming in September: When teams are allowed to expand their rosters next month, [Mariners manager Bob] Melvin said the Mariners probably would call up just two prospects from Tacoma - three players, actually, counting veteran Pat Borders' annual return to Seattle.

The best of the prospects in Tacoma are outfielder Jeremy Reed, who entered Tuesday batting .310 with four home runs and 32 RBI in 48 games since the Mariners acquired him in the Freddy Garcia trade; outfielder Jamal Strong, .324 with 19 steals; third baseman Greg Dobbs, .290 with seven homers and 27 RBI; and first baseman A.J. Zapp, .293 with 28 homers and 94 RBI.

Most likely, the Mariners will bring up Reed and Dobbs. Reed is a highly regarded outfielder the Mariners want to see closely at the major league level and Dobbs plays a position - third base - that will be a major focus of the team in the offseason."

Jeremy Reed was drafted by the Chicago Cubs out of Long Beach State with the 59th pick (2nd round) in 2002. Earlier this year he was dealt to Seattle in the Freddie Garcia trade. LBSU Dirtbag Greg Dobbs was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 10th round in 1999. Both are currently in the Seattle Mariners organization with Class AAA Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League.

From baseball.com (read it here):

"WILLIAMSPORT CROSSCUTTERS: The Crosscutters earned six wins in eight outings this past week and are now just three games under .500 in the New York-Penn League standings at 29-32. Mike Hofius paced Williamsport this past week, going 8-for-19 with a home run and seven RBI. He is now batting .281 this season with five home runs and a team-best 27 RBI...."

From baseball.com (read it here):

" GREENSBORO BATS: The Bats struggles continued this past week, as they dropped four of their seven outings. The team is still in the basement of the South Atlantic League's Southern Division second half standings at 20-35. Jason Vargas was certainly a bright spot for the Bats this past week, as he allowed just one earned run on only three hits in eight innings of a 2-1 victory over Savannah on August 21st...."

From heraldnet.com (read it here):

"Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers: Despite a roster that has been raided by the Mariners, the Rainiers entered the weekend 70-53 and a half game ahead of Portland in the Pacific Coast League North.

...Outfielder Jeremy Reed, after 44 games since arriving in the Freddy Garcia trade, was batting .309 with four home runs and 30 RBI. Third baseman Greg Dobbs was hitting .286, ..."

From dailysouthtown.com (read it here):

"...Double-A West Tenn pitchers Sean Marshall, Jae Kuk Ryu and Russ Rohlicek are among the players in the Cubs organization who will play for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League..."

From baseball.com (read it here):

"NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS - With the contest scheduled for August 11 against Akron and an off day on August 15, the Rock Cats played just five games, posting a 3-2 record. Bryan Kennedy led the way with a .462 average in 13 plate appearances..."

From baseball.com (read it here):

"LAKE ELSINORE STORM - The Storm broke a four-game slide on August 16th with a 2-1 win over Rancho Cucamonga. ...Paul McAnulty accounted for one of the home runs, knocked in four and scored a team-high five runs...."

Paul has hit 22 homers, while batting .303 in 120 games (446 at bats) for the Class A Advanced Lake Elsinor Storm (San Diego). Read current stats here.

McAnulty and Adam Heether are showing how tough Blair Field is on power hitters. Though hitting .248, Heether has belted 16 homeruns for the Class A Beloit Snappers in the Midwest League (Milwaukee). Read current stats here.

From baseball.com (read it here):

"CAPITAL CITY BOMBERS: With wins in six of their seven outings this past week, the Bombers opened up a 2 1/2 game lead on Charleston-SC for first place in the South Atlantic League's Southern Division second half standings at 34-19. ...Carlos Muniz was also effective in relief, as he earned a win and a save with 3 1/3 scoreless innings of work. He is now 3-0 with five saves in 12 appearances for Capital City this season...."

Finally, here's an interesting story from oursportscentral.com involving Rolo Avila, who plays for the Bridgeport Bluefish in the independent Atlantic League:

"Editor's note: The "web site photographer" the writer referred to above is none other than Kevin Henthorne, one of the Atlantic League's two best pitchers this season (along with teammate Tim Cain). It just so happens that Henny has a passion for photography, and can be seen outside our dugout at virtually very game (except when he's pitching), snapping digital photos of all the interesting things that go on in the ballpark. At last Wednesday's game against the Long Island Ducks, he actually snapped a picture of Rolo Avila beating a throw to home plate, despite being called out by the umpire. After the inning, Henny showed the photo to the umpire who good-naturedly said: "I called him out. That's my story and I'm sticking to it." The good news is that we scored ten other runs that evening to beat the Ducks 10-8, and didn't need Rolo's run to emerge victorious."

Catcher Todd Jennings began a rehab assignment with the Class A Short Season Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (San Francisco Giants) on August 18, 2004. In 5 games he is hitting .294 (5 for 17). You can follow his stats here.

Thanks to Niall for passing along this story from mlb.com (read the entire story here):

MINNEAPOLIS --- Through Saturday, the A's had made the fewest errors in the American league, so there's been quite a bit of Gold Glove talk in the clubhouse as of late. In addition to its three-time winner at third base, Eric Chavez, Oakland has a couple of legitimate candidates in center fielder Mark Kotsay and right fielder Jermaine Dye.

But left fielder Eric Byrnes, who has turned in quite a few fielding gems himself, said Sunday that rookie shortstop Bobby Crosby has been the true anchor of the defense.

"He's made a few errors, but I think the key to the whole thing has been Bobby," Byrnes said. "I mean, we knew he'd be a good defensive player, but I don't think anyone expected him to reach the level he's at right now so quickly."

Infield coach Ron Washington said much the same thing last week in New York, where Crosby put on a show during a three-game series, and first base coach Brad Fischer reiterated the feeling among A's coaches on Sunday.

"The most impressive thing about Bobby is that he's getting better as the season progresses," Fischer said. "We knew he was good, but he's improving pretty dramatically both at the plate and in the field every day, it seems."

From the Sun-Sentinel.com in south Florida (read it here):

"Marlins second-round pick Jason Vargas, a left-hander out of Long Beach State, was promoted from short-season Class A Jamestown (N.Y.) to low-Class A Greensboro this week. Vargas drew excellent reviews during his seven-start stint with Jamestown, where he went 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA, 13 walks and 36 strikeouts in 361/3 innings.

Vargas and first-round pick Taylor Tankersley had a combined 1.35 ERA in 11 starts for the Jammers. Tankersley earned his first pro win Wednesday by tossing six shutout innings against Batavia.

"Both are left-handed but they're really not the same guy," minor league pitching coordinator Dean Treanor said. "Vargas is somebody who'll use both sides of the plate and use his changeup. His changeup is a pretty good pitch for him. He has an idea how to pitch, and I think there's more fastball in there, too.""

Below are excerpts from an article here in the ContraCostaTimes.com. The entire article is well worth reading.

"'Where dreams begin'

By Eric Gilmore

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

KEIZER, Ore. - The sun had yet to rise when the Vancouver Canadians gathered in darkness at their stadium on the morning of Aug. 5, boarded a chartered bus and headed south toward Oregon.

Nearly eight hours later, these A's minor-leaguers arrived at their Salem, Ore., hotel, 50 miles south of Portland. They had just enough time to check in, grab some fast food and maybe catch a quick nap.

By 2:30 that afternoon, they were back on the bus. After a short drive north, they arrived at Volcanoes Stadium here for that night's game against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a Giants farm club.

There was still time for three hours of pregame stretching, hitting and fielding practice. Then came an agonizing 4-3 loss to the Volcanoes.

Finally, some 17 hours after it began, their workday was over.

"It's all part of the grind," said Canadians catcher Kurt Suzuki, a second-round pick in this year's June draft, standing outside his team's clubhouse. "You've got to pay your dues to get to the top.

"I'm a little tired, but this is my dream."

On the Volcanoes Web site, a fitting line streams across the home page in bold orange letters: "Where Giant Dreams Begin."

The short-season Single-A Northwest League is where most of the Giants and A's college draft picks begin their major league quests, their transition from amateur to pro baseball....

The Giants didn't have a first-round pick this year, but outfielder Eddy Martinez-Esteve, a second-rounder from Florida State, made a brief stop at Salem-Keizer before being promoted to Single-A Hagerstown earlier this month.

Outfielder John Bowker, a third-round pick from Long Beach State, plays for Salem-Keizer. ...

One crack-of-dawn bus trip or broken bat -- aluminum is out in pro ball, wood is in -- is enough to let these prospects know they're not amateurs anymore.

Yet their transition to professional baseball involves more than mastering the art of catching zees while traveling throughout the Northwest on a bus or learning the difference between maple and ash bats.

There are hurdles to clear on and off the field. This is the start of a weeding out process that claims all but the best as its victims.

"It's about more than being good enough to play," Giants director of player development Jack Hiatt said from his home in Coquille, Ore. "You physically have to make it there. Emotionally you have to make it.

"You have to be tough. It's survival of the fittest. For every player that makes it, there are some slaughtered bodies along the trail."

The June draft stretched 50 rounds, and 1,498 players were chosen. Most of those players will never wear a major-league uniform....

Pecking order

Salem-Keizer is one of six Giants minor league teams.

The lowest rung is their Arizona (Rookie) League team based in Scottsdale. Salem-Keizer sits one step higher. Then it's Single-A Hagerstown, Single-A San Jose, Double-A Norwich and Triple-A Fresno....

The Northwest League is a huge step up from the Arizona League, but it's hardly a glamorous existence.

Players earn around $900 a month. Most players live with host families that volunteer to house and feed them at a bargain price. Volcanoes players pay $200 per month.

For many players, that option helps them make ends meet. Even players with big bonuses enjoy the convenience of a ready-made home....

Bowker grew up in Sacramento, a lifelong Giants fan. He said it was a "dream come true" when the Giants drafted him. After a short stop in the Arizona League, he jumped to Salem-Keizer.

"I just go out and play my best," Bowker said. "Whatever happens, happens."

The climb to the majors is typically hard and long. Yet there are plenty of examples, especially on the A's, of players who made quick trips to the big leagues.

Chavez, Bobby Crosby, Rich Harden, Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito are home-grown A's who spent three or fewer years in the minors.

"They have a reputation for doing that," Michael Rogers said. "That's great for us."

Robnett said he's done his "homework" about the A's.

"They're not afraid to push somebody up," he said. "They're not going to hold back. That's good."

The Giants have a history of trading many of their top picks for veterans. Yet even the Giants offer some inspirational examples for the Volcanoes.

Pitcher Noah Lowry started his pro career in 2001 with Salem-Keizer. Now he's a rookie sensation for the Giants.

Pitcher Jesse Foppert, a second-round pick now recovering from Tommy John surgery, went from Salem-Keizer in 2001 to the Giants in 2003. Pitcher Brad Hennessey, a first-round pick in 2001, was called up to the Giants this month. Joe Nathan, who pitched for the Volcanoes in 1997 and jumped to the Giants in 1999, made the American League All-Star team this year with the Minnesota Twins.

"I know my goal was to be in San Jose the next year, skip a level," Foppert said, recalling his season with Salem-Keizer. "I wasn't even thinking about being in the big leagues a year later."

Foppert spent 2002 at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, then joined the Giants rotation early in the '03 season.

"You never know," Suzuki said. "You just have to keep your eye on the target, keep playing hard."

And keep dreaming."

From theReporter.com of Vacaville, California (read it here):

"Beach calling Vaca's Hume

Sunshine, a top-notch program, and a scholarship lure Vacan to Long Beach.

By David DeBolt/Reporter Sports Intern

Former Vacaville High School pitcher Donnie Hume didn't need to visit North Carolina State University.

The sun, the palm trees, the beach, and the year-round baseball weather of Southern California were all the left-hander needed. Getting signed by one of the best baseball programs on the West Coast was a bonus.

Hume made his college decision recently, accepting a scholarship with Long Beach State. The former Bulldog was due to visit NC State after his trip south, but the trip was not necessary.

Location was a factor in Hume's decision.

"It is far enough away to get away, but close enough to take a nice drive home," he said. "The campus is beautiful. I've always liked Southern California. There is all kinds of baseball down there."

At his visit to the college, Hume had breakfast, lunch and dinner with the coaches as well as an academic skills specialist who takes care of the baseball players.

The lefty said he was impressed with the coaches.

"I've heard nothing but good things about the coaches from the players," Hume said.

Hume's first contact with Long Beach State came when pitching coach Troy Buckley saw Hume pitch at a North-South All-Star game for state high school juniors last summer. Buckley then set up a time to come and watch one of Hume's games with the Bulldogs.

"He came out and watched me pitch a complete game against Armijo," Hume said. "We won, but it wasn't my best performance."

Still, the outing impressed Buckley. Hume was equally impressed with the pitching coach.

"Troy Buckley is one of the top pitching coaches in the country," Hume said.

Under Buckley, the pitching staff combined for a 2.99 ERA last season and led their team within one game of the College World Series.

Hume, who was signed as a pitcher, will join that staff. In high school, the lefty pitched and hit, but Hume said it is rare for pitchers to do both at Long Beach. So he is going to establish himself as a pitcher first, and then show the coaches what he can do at the plate.

Hume is not sure if he will redshirt or fill a spot on this year's roster. But the former Bulldog's hopes are high for next season.

"I want to win a position early," Hume said. "I've been pitching well all summer long," he said.

Hume has spent the summer playing off an on for the Solano Cenco Sultans. The pitcher said if he had not been picked up by Long Beach, he might have landed at Solano Community College.

Hume had also been looked at by many scouts.

"I threw a bullpen for the Giants at Vaca High," he said.

The Chicago Cubs, the Florida Marlins, and the Pittsburgh Pirates also showed interest.

He said his decision to attend Long Beach had an affect in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft in June.

"They didn't want to waste a pick," Hume said.

But Hume said he would rather play at the college level and develop his skills a little more.

"I wasn't ready to play with the big boys," he said.

Hume still has his heart set on making the big leagues, though.

"My goal is to hopefully get drafted by my junior year," the pitcher said.

Hume has come to the right place. Ten former 49ers currently play in the majors, and four of their players from last season were drafted in the first five rounds, including standout pitcher Jered Weaver, who was selected 12th overall by the Anaheim Angels.

Hume's new team went 41-20 last season, finishing second in the Big West Conference behind powerhouse Cal-State Fullerton. The "Dirtbags" - the school mascot is the 49ers, but the baseball team has adopted the name Dirtbags - were ranked 12th in the college top 25, marking the 12th time since 1989 that Long Beach cracked the top 25.

Calculating in the stats, the travel time and the weather reports for Long Beach, it looks as though Hume has made the right decision."

Hume was selected as a California's Best of 2004 by the California Baseball Coach's Association as a multi-position player (outfield and pitcher). Read it here.

This from USA Today today (read it here):

"Long Beach St. gets money's worth from nickname

By Jack Carey, USA TODAY

The Washington Redskins' offensive line wants to get down and dirty. For 15 years, Long Beach State's baseball team already has been.

The Redskins have christened their offensive line the "Dirtbags," a moniker contrived by line coach Joe Bugel, whose line was called the "Hogs" in the team's glory days of the 1980s.

Long Beach State's baseball team uses Dirtbags as an unofficial nickname. The name was first coined in 1989 when the team had to practice on an all-dirt field and ended up making the school's first College World Series appearance. The moniker proved popular with fans and has stuck through the years. The school's official nickname is 49ers.

It's not known if the Redskins will be selling "Dirtbags" merchandise this season, although owner Dan Snyder has proven to be a marketing whiz in his tenure with the team.

So is a marketing war brewing between the big NFL club and the mid-major baseball program?

Probably not.

Tim Dickson, Long Beach State's director of marketing, says the school has not copyrighted the name itself, but there is a copyright on the script Dirtbags logo that's displayed on baseball merchandise such as T-shirts and sweats.

"As long as (the Redskins) don't use the exact same script logo, it's not a big deal," Dickson says. "The name itself is not going to be a problem for us. It is pretty funny though."

The Redskins aren't yet ready to market the nickname.

"There's been no discussion about it," team spokesman Michelle Tessier says. "If the fans take to it, and it catches on, who knows?"

Dickson says that in a good year, the sale of Dirtbags merchandise can bring in $30,000-$35,000 to Long Beach State."

After batting .512 in 10 games for the Arizona Giants, the San Francisco Giants apparently felt John Bowker didn't have anything else to prove at the rookie league level. John has been moved up to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Class A Short Season Northwest League. John is batting .375 in his first 2 games, going 3 for 8 including 2 triples.

Here's a story from MLB.com (read the entire story here):

"Notes: Angels, Weaver not close
By Doug Miller / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Angels were hoping to get top draft pick Jered Weaver signed by now, but general manager Bill Stoneman acknowledged Thursday that the team is nowhere close to an agreement with the right-hander, who was taken with the 12th selection in June's First-Year Player Draft.

"It would be nice to be negotiating, but we're not," Stoneman said by telephone. "There's nothing happening here."

Stoneman wouldn't divulge details of conversations with Weaver's agent, Scott Boras, but when he was asked if he felt the process was going as planned, he said, "I don't think it's going normally, no. I'm not sure exactly what we expected, but we were hoping to have a negotiation here and it's not really happening."..."

Kevin Randel, former middle infielder for the Dirtbags, has returned to the lineup for the Florida Marlin's Class A Greensboro Bats. Click here for his current stats.

From Baseball America (read it here):

"When it mattered most, Team USA was at its best.

USA Baseball's college national team wrapped up a challenging summer in grand fashion, beating Japan 4-2 to win the World University Championship in Chinese Taipei.

Righthander Luke Hochevar (Tennessee) retired 18 in a row at one point to earn the victory, his first decision of the summer, while freshman center fielder Drew Stubbs (Texas) capped a fine tournament performance with a two-run triple in the fifth inning that provided the margin of victory.

Team USA finished the summer with a rather average-looking 18-7 record, but the Americans played their best in Taiwan, winning all eight games they played in the event and avenging a five-game series sweep at the hands of Japan earlier in the summer. Team USA out-scored opponents 52-12 in the World University Games to win the gold medal in the second-ever installment of the event. Team USA won silver in the first Games, an all-amateur tournament designed for college-age players, in 2002. Cuba, which withdrew from this tournament just before it started, won the 2002 Games.

Hochevar had been one of Team USA's top performers in the Japan Series sweep and earned the gold-medal start, and he responded with a fine performance. The Colorado native gave up two runs and three hits in the first inning but gave up just two more hits the rest of the way. He struck out seven in seven innings. Relievers Joey Devine (North Carolina State), Cesar Ramos (Long Beach State) and closer J. Brent Cox (Texas) sealed the win with two combined scoreless innings.

Stubbs, who went 11-for-27 (.407) in the tournament, got Team USA started back from its early 2-0 deficit, breaking up a perfect game by Japanese starting pitcher Yasuhiro Ichiba with a leadoff single in the fourth. A walk to Travis Buck (Arizona State) and a pair of balks plated a run to cut the lead to 2-1. Team USA tied the game as Buck scored when third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (Virginia) grounded into a double play.

Team USA took the lead in its next at-bat. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (Long Beach State) singled and second baseman Chris Valaika (UC Santa Barbara) drew a two-out walk to set the table for Stubbs, who drilled his game-winning two-run triple to left-center field.

Hochevar and the bullpen held the lead, with Cox getting his fourth save of both the tournament and the summer in the ninth.

Zimmerman, who went 9-for-24 with a home run and four doubles, was named the tournament's MVP. He went 1-for-3 in the championship game to finish the summer with a .468 average, a record for the national-team program, breaking the mark set by Stanford's David McCarty in 1990. At .468-4-27, he led Team USA in the triple crown categories.

NATIONAL NOTES

- First baseman Alex Gordon (Nebraska) was named the offensive MVP of the event, going 11-for-21 with two homers and eight runs scored overall. His .524 average led the Games. Gordon, who struggled in Team USA's series against Japan and Chinese Taipei during its summer schedule, finished the summer batting .388-4-12, though he also led the team with 22 strikeouts in 67 at-bats. He tied Tulowitzki and Zimmerman for the team's home runs lead.

- Hochevar finished the summer with a 2.73 ERA and 38 strikeouts in a team-high 33 innings. He didn't allow a home run, and Team USA's pitching staff allowed just four all summer in posting a 3.03 ERA. The bullpen was the staff's strength, dominating in the eight-game tournament with 20 scoreless innings. Cox earned a win and four saves in the tournament, including saves in the last three games. Team USA posted a 1.19 ERA overall for the tournament, lowering its overall ERA by 84 points.

- Devine, working as Cox' setup man, finished the summer with a team-best 0.55 ERA in 16 innings, and his 26 strikeouts ranked fourth on the team.

- Buck went hitless in the championship game, just the fourth time all summer he failed to get a hit. He finished the summer batting .412-2-14, trailing only Zimmerman in batting, with a team-high 14 walks (.5112 on-base percentage).

- Korea beat host Chinese Taipei 3-1 to win the bronze medal."