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The Beach remains 15th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Assn. poll this week. The Rice Owls, defeated by Long Beach State 4-1 in the Coca Cola Classic tournament at Rice in Houston on February 18, moves to #1 in the poll.

Former Dirtbag Paul McAnulty is featured in this piece on the San Diego Padres website at MLB.com.

Junior RHP Andrew Carpenter was named the Big West Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week today, after his 1 hitter against Illinois-Chicago. He also earned the honor last week.

The 1st in season ESPN/Sports Weekly poll of Division I coaches is out, and the Dirtbags are ranked 15th (up from 20th pre-season).

Friday, February 24, 2006: Dirtbags 5, UIC 3
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. UIC Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Daily Breeze.

Saturday, February 25, 2006: Dirtbags 6, UIC 0
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. UIC Website. Daily Breeze. Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Sunday, February 26, 2006: Dirtbags 10, UIC 0
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. UIC Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. 6-4-2 Blog post, and Photos.

The week/series: Baseball America's Top 25 Tracker.

The highlight of the weekend was junior RHP Andrew Carpenter's 1 hitter on Saturday. I wrote it up here. There was a correction on the LongBeachState.com story...I'll add it to mine here: In the early '90s Steve Whitaker and Dennis Gray also threw 1 hitters.

The box score for the game on Sunday is 1 of the stranger ones I've seen, with the Dirtbags and Flames both having 7 hits, but Long Beach State scoring a 10-0 shutout victory. The difference, in part, was 5 errors for Illinois-Chicago leading to 5 unearned runs, and a 7 run 2nd inning. The Dirtbags played error free, and turned 2 double plays. 2 of their 7 hits went for doubles (by Edgar Sedano and Jose Hernandez), and they got 3 sac flies (Evan Longoria, Brandon Godfrey and Scott Bradley). The Beach left only 3 on base, while the Flames stranded 6. To state the obvious, good defense, timely hitting, and execution wins games.

On the weekend, the Dirtbags made the most of their opportunities, scoring 21 runs on 26 hits. Kip Masuda hit his 1st homerun as a 49er on Saturday, the only 1 hit during the series by either side. He also had a double in the game, and 3 RBI. Three other 49ers had multiple hits Saturday, including Evan Longoria (3 for 4), Matt Cline (2 for 3), and Brandon Godfrey (2 for 4).

Freshman RHP Vance Worley got his 1st win as a Dirtbag Sunday, going 8 innings and allowing just 6 hits and no runs (striking out 2, and walking 1). He pitched well enough to win a week earlier, making this his 2nd solid start in a row.

Senior outfielder Sean Boatright missed the series with a "tweaked" back.

Long Beach State's team batting average now stands at .298, with 6 players hitting over .300 (Evan Longoria at .439 [18-41], Kip Masuda at .412 [7-17], Scott Bradley at .364 [8-22], Matt Cline at .333 [3-9], Brandon Godfrey at .324 [11-34], and Danny Espinosa at .306 [15-49])

Update: Andrew Carpenter is featured in this week's Baseball America Three Strikes column.

Long Beach State is now ranked 16th in both Baseball America (from 18th last week) and Collegiate Baseball (from 17th), after going 3-0 against Illinois-Chicago at Blair Field.

I'll do the full recap on the weekend on Monday as usual. But for a school known for great pitching, junior RHP Andrew Carpenter's performance against the Illinois-Chicago Flames today was truly remarkable. In a 9 inning complete game, won by the Dirtbags 6-0, Andrew gave up 1 hit, struck out 8, and 1 walk. He faced 1 over the minimum. 60 of 94 pitches went for strikes. It's the 1st complete game 1 hitter by a Long Beach State pitcher since Dan Danielson's in 1979. On the season, Andrew is now 2-0, with a 1.29 ERA over 28 innings and 4 starts. He's struck out 23, and walked just 4, holding opponents to a .167 average. [Box Score][LongBeachState.com story].

Former Dirtbags Terrmel Sledge and Paul McAnulty have signed one year deals with the San Diego Padres.

John Sickels at MinorLeagueBall.com picks Marco Estrada as the #18 prospect in the Washington National's system. And Abe Alvarez as #13 with the Boston Red Sox. Steve Hammond and Adam Heether with the Milwaukee Brewers don't make his top 20, but get a mention as legit prospects. Jered Weaver comes in at #4 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. With the Chicago Cubs, Russ Rohlicek is #18 (unless the Cubs have another Rohlicek named Rick). More to come.

From Mayo's Mailbag at MinorLeagueBaseball.com (hat tip to reader Rhonda):

What can we expect from Omar Quintanilla and Luis A. Gonzalez this year? And what is the future of second base for the Rockies? Could Clint Barmes ultimately end up there with Troy Tulowitzki replacing him as the Rockies long-term shortstop? -- Galen, Minnesota

Yes, to the second question. I think Troy Tulowitzki will be their shortstop before the season's over. At the very least, he'll be there Opening Day 2007. And he's a shortstop. Barmes is probably going to have to move. The Rockies have so much depth there, he's going to be looking over his shoulder a bit. ... You can never have too much help up the middle and they've certainly stockpiled there. I do see a scenario for next year at the latest where Tulowitzki plays short and Barmes plays second.

Former Dirtbag Jason Vargas is featured in this piece in the Miami Herald. Excerpts:

Left-hander Jason Vargas -- who started last season at low Class A -- has a 'leg up' on the competition to make the Marlins' rotation.
BY CLARK SPENCER

JUPITER - A.J. Burnett, Paul Lo Duca and Todd Jones pleaded with Jason Vargas to leave his hair long after he was called up from the minors last season, and the young lefty bowed to their request. But those teammates are gone, and so too is the coif.

''It's kind of something a few of the guys told me to keep last year, so I really had no choice,'' Vargas said.

"But I didn't want to come into spring training looking shaggy like I did last year, because it's always best to make a good first impression.''

Vargas did that Tuesday when he threw his first bullpen session of the spring in front of new Marlins manager Joe Girardi. But it wasn't the do that caught Girardi's eye. It was his steely glare.

''He's got that look in his eyes that he's going to get you out,'' Girardi said. "And that's not a look everyone has. I like that look.''...

Vargas wasn't invited to the Marlins' major-league camp last spring. There were no openings in the rotation, and the team figured Vargas, their second-round pick out of Long Beach State in 2004, needed more seasoning in the minors even though they didn't think it would take him long to reach the majors.

But nobody thought he would make the climb so fast.

Vargas started the 2005 season at low A Greensboro (N.C.) and, after just five starts, was promoted to Single A Jupiter. He made nine starts with the Hammerheads before being elevated to Double A Carolina. Then, after making three starts there, the Marlins called Vargas up in mid-July when they lost patience with Al Leiter and released him.

Vargas was thrust into the rotation and reeled off five wins in his first six decisions.

''I think there was a certain air of confidence that he had and the team had in him, which is a positive,'' Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest said. "He handled himself well, showed a lot of poise and was very competitive.''...

When he was with the Dirtbags, the way that Jason always battled impressed me the most. Apparently his employers agree.

The Dirtbags are home against Illinois-Chicago this weekend. Friday will be the 1st meeting ever between them. The Flames won the Horizon League championship tournament last season, securing an automatic berth in the Regional field. UIC went 0-2 in the Lincoln Regional, losing 2 close games against tough competition - 8-6 against Nebraska, and 9-7 against North Carolina. They finished the season 38-21-1. They play 'Ole Miss next weekend, and 2007 non-conference opponents include Georgia Tech and Tennessee.

The matchup tonight could be interesting. The Flames start junior RHP Zach Peterson (0-0, 0.00) against junior RHP Jared Hughes (2-0, 3.86). Peterson was named to the College Baseball Foundation National Honor Roll for the week of February 21 [pdf], with these comments:

Zach Peterson, Illinois-Chicago, P - Peterson, who went 10-1 in 2005, held the Creighton Bluejays hitless until Chris Gradoville hit a solid single up the middle with two down in the fourth. That would be all the Jays would get, as Peterson finished with a no-decision after seven scoreless frames, allowing just four hits. Creighton was held scoreless through eight innings, but tied Illinois-Chicago in the ninth, 2-2, only to fall in the 10th inning on Jake Carr's single at Hohokam Park in Mesa, Arizona.

The Dirtbags' junior RHP Andrew Carpenter was named to the same list with this:

Andrew Carpenter, Long Beach State, P - Went seven strong innings, striking out a career-best eight and giving up only one run on three hits, as the 49ers topped Rice in their own Coca-Cola Classic Tournament in Houston. Carpenter walked two and used just 103 pitches in topping Owl's All American Joe Savery, leaving with a 4-1 cushion.

There's a nice piece in the Long Beach Press-Telegram featuring Andrew, with a little history on Dirtbags Saturday starters.

The LongBeachState.com weekly release is here in html, and here as a pdf file. The Illinois-Chicago release is here in html, and here as a pdf.

Update: The Long Beach Press-Telegram has a piece today on the Dirtbags' progress 10 games into the season.

Former Dirtbag, and current Oakland A, Bobby Crosby has been sidelined with a sore shoulder.

Former Dirtbag Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies 1st round pick in '05, comes in at #25 on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list, with the comment (from an anonymous scout) that "He's better than Bobby Crosby". True, or not, it says alot for the shortstops coming out of the Beach lately. Hat tip to reader NinerDave.

Update: Be sure to take a look at the comment left by reader Chris Jackson concerning Evan Longoria's draft status.

Former Dirtbag John Bowker is featured in this Sacramento Bee piece:

Giants notes: For now, Rio grad must wait out things
By Nick Peters -- Bee Staff Writer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Tony Torcato's career with the Giants has ended as the unsigned free-agent outfielder continues to search for baseball work, and the former first-round draft choice has been replaced by another valley boy in camp.

He's outfielder John Bowker, 22, who has batted .295 with 19 home runs and 94 RBIs in 162 games in the lower minors the past two seasons after starring at Rio Americano High School and Long Beach State.

A three-sport athlete as a prep, Bowker went to Long Beach after setting season records at Rio Americano with a .463 average, 41 hits, eight home runs and 41 RBIs. He batted .323 in three college seasons and was a third-round draft choice of the Giants.

"I have no timetable for reaching the bigs," said Bowker, whose 27 doubles, 13 homers and 67 RBIs helped Class-A San Jose win the California League title last season. "This is my second big-league camp, and we'll just see what happens."

Bowker, whose father, Brite, was a tennis player at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, spent the winter working out in Sacramento and with college buddies in Long Beach. He's hopeful of starting the season at Double-A Norwich, Conn.

A left-handed hitter, Bowker is more or less lost in the shuffle now, but with veteran Giants outfielders close to drawing Social Security, there's always hope he'll reach the bigs with the team he followed as a youngster.

"I was a Giants fan, and my favorite player was Barry Bonds," he said. "I played with (pitcher) Jered Weaver at Long Beach, so I was the other guy. My best memory was beating Stanford to reach the NCAA [Super Regional].

"I had a couple of hits, including a homer, but we missed going to Omaha (the College World Series) when Arizona beat us. Of course, winning the Cal League title was a lot of fun, too."

...is ranked as the #57 prospect by Baseball America.

Update: Jered comes in at #35 on the Baseball Prospectus list (I picked this up at 6-2-4 Blog).

Former Dirtbag Jeremy Reed comes in at 81st on Tim Dierkes Top 100 Outfielders for 2006 list at the Hardball Times, with these comments:

Jeremy Reed: Reed garnered accolades mainly for his defense in his rookie season, as he wasn't the .300 hitter many forecasts called for. He'll improve across the board in '06, and could become David DeJesus with more SBs eventually. For now I predict .270-10-55 with 78 runs and 17 steals. He's certainly capable of beating my runs and batting average projections and vaulting up this list in '06.

Former Dirtbag Jason Vargas is featured in this piece at TCPalm.com (free registration required):

JUPITER - Florida Marlins pitcher Jason Vargas barely pitched enough innings last year to eliminate his status as a rookie. Yet Vargas is one of the few left on the Marlins roster after an offseason overhaul.

Vargas finished 5-5 with a 4.03 earned-run average in 2005.

"I don't know if I'd call myself a veteran," Vargas said Saturday, the day the Marlins' pitchers and catchers reported.

The 23-year-old would not even guarantee himself a spot in the starting rotation in 2006, noting that the Marlins have talent, though they don't have much experience. That doesn't mean he will shy away from the spotlight this year.

"I always have high expectations for myself," he said. "But I'm not going to try to do anything different out there."

Vargas also has high expectations for his team, even if several pundits have picked the Marlins to finish toward the bottom of the league. The Marlins' second-round pick in 2004 won't have any part of the negativity.

"If you're thinking that way, you shouldn't be here," Vargas said.

Vargas could help the Marlins rebuild quickly. He had a productive season and won two of his last three starts last year.

Here's a piece I missed before on the Dirtbags victory over Lamar in the Beaumont Enterprise, entitled "Long Beach Pummels Lamar Pitching".

Hat tip to reader Dave for passing along this piece from RosenblattReport.com:

Boatright knows the way

Kendall Rogers

Long Beach State outfielder Sean Boatright has seen his role as a leader increase this season, thanks to the exit of several key players from last year's club.

It's a challenge that he has welcomed with open arms during the first two weeks of the season.

Boatright got his 2006 campaign started on the right foot in week one, as he lead the Dirtbags back to beat Southern California in three straight contests.

For the year, Boatright is hitting .308 with two homers and 7 RBI in 26 at bats.

While the Dirtbags hit the ball well in their opening series with the Trojans, they have cooled off in their last three games against California and Pepperdine.

The Dirtbags' competition doesn't get any easier this weekend, as they hit the road to compete in the Coca-Cola Classic in Houston. Among others, Coach Mike Weathers' club will face top-ranked Rice and an Oklahoma team that hopes to continue their winning ways.

The Beach is expected to throw staff ace Jared Hughes in their first game against Lamar, while opting to send Andrew Carpenter to the hill to face the top-ranked Owls. The Dirtbags will wrap up the tournament with Oklahoma, where they are expected to throw Vance Worley.

We talked to one of Long Beach State's key players about this weekend, the season to-date and beyond.

After two weekends of play, what are your thoughts on the team heading into the tournament at Rice?

Sean Boatright: The first weekend of our season was outstanding, as we played flawless baseball for the most part against Southern California. But in our series with California and single game against Pepperdine, the offense took a step back. We just need to go out there and turn it up a notch offensively. Our situational hitting must also improve to be successful. Overall, we have a few things that are worth worrying about right now, but overall, we know we can do it as a team, and are committed to doing just that.

Talk about your role on the team and how it has increased with the departure of a few players from last year's squad?

SB: One thing I set out to do this spring is to become a more influential leader to the other players on the team. I really enjoy having that role and it is something that I take great pride in. I think that knowing the system here is very important to being a leader and it's also critical to keep everyone on the same regiment during each week of the season. Overall, it's nice being a guy that a lot of younger players on the team ask questions to.

Long Beach State has long been known for their tremendous pitching. What are your thoughts on the weekend rotation and staff thus far?

SB: I thought they did an outstanding job of keeping us in the series against California. It was mainly our hitting that let us down in that three-game set. If the weekend starters go out there and throw like they are capable and we as an offense do what we are supposed to do, the future of this club should be very bright. Overall, I see our weekend rotation and pitching staff as one that doesn't make too many mistakes. That's not a bad attribute to have as a pitching staff.

What is the most impressive attribute of this year's team?

SB: The unity of this club is simply amazing. I've never seen a team this close together, but what might be most impressive is the fact that everyone is doing their part to bring more success to the program. During the past few seasons, we have relied on individuals to get things done. This year's club is not like that, as each player on the team is looking to take on an important role. It's definitely something that makes us feel good inside.

You have talked a lot about the offense. Is that a particular area that should be a cause for concern after the last three games?

SB: At this point, I really don't think so. It is all about us going out there and playing our game on a consistent basis. We showed against Southern California that we can hit the baseball, so we just need to go out there and do it. Personally, I think it all boils down to doing the little things right. If we do that, we will be fine this weekend and beyond. My advice for the guys this weekend is to have fun and do the little things right.

is featured in this piece at SFDugout.com (originally published at MadFriars.com):

Scouting Padres Prospect: Neil Jamison

By Denis Savage
Date: Feb 17, 2006

It is not often that a first-year setup man gets clumped into top prospect status. But Neil Jamison showed the poise of a major league veteran in his professional debut and is headed for San Diego as quick as a fish taco.

A year after going in the eighth round to the Mets, the Padres snatched Neil Jamison in round six from Long Beach State. His selection was preceded by an impressive run with the 49ers during his senior season - posting an ERA of 0.00 in 29.1 innings.

His success, therefore, wasn't a surprise in the Padres' system.

In his first 16 relief appearances for the Eugene Emeralds, the right-hander yielded just one earned run. And he ended his Northwest League stint with four earned runs allowed over 25 appearances that spanned 27.1 innings.

With runners in scoring position he gave up just two hits in 26 at bats and of the 23 hits he allowed just three went for extra bases.

It was simply tough to put good wood on the pitches he was throwing and he wound up striking out 31 while walking eight before his promotion for Fort Wayne.

Jamison has a three-quarters delivery and sports a fastball, slider and changeup. His fastball rides in the high eighties but it has a lot of sink and his slider has enough tilt to make a poker player jealous.

"He has a fastball that sinks and a slider that he locates," Bill Gayton, the Padres director of scouting, said. "He has the makeup to continue advancing. He does not have real big velocity but has good tilt to his slider and a fastball with movement."

The San Diego native didn't run into trouble until he reached Fort Wayne and that was one outing. Five of the 11 hits and two of the three runs he surrendered in ten innings of work came in one appearance. His very next outing produced five outs all by way of the strikeout.

The 22-year old prospect did have some troubles against left-handed hitters through the year - he limited righties to a .207 average but lefties batted .288.

Jamison brings a measure of poise to the mound and is not afraid to attack and challenge hitters. Given his closing mentality, he comes in firing on all cylinders.

When we asked a prospect to name a sleeper on his team - the answer was easy:

"Neil Jamison, but I don't know if he's really a sleeper," fellow pitcher John Madden said.

After dominating the Instructional League - posting a 0.00 ERA and allowing four hits, no walks, while striking out eight, sleeper is not really the right term for the right-hander. And when he checked in at 19 on our top 60 it took a few by surprise - but not the Padres.

"Makeup is outstanding," added Gayton. "He did what he did at Long Beach State. A fastball/slider combo that gets people out."

Two more levels in 2006 will be what the Padres push for. Jamison has the pedigree to thrive under such conditions and could be the second player from this draft class - behind Cesar Carrillo - to make it to the majors.

"He is a guy who could move quickly through the system," Grady Fuson, the Padres vice president of scouting and player development, said. "He understands how to pitch and throws strikes."

Staying focused and continuing to be aggressive within the edges of the strike zone is on the agenda for Jamison. If he can do that with regularity, it won't be long before he is pitching in front of his hometown fans.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006: Pepperdine 3, Dirtbags 2
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Pepperdine Website.

Friday, February 17, 2006: Dirtbags 11, Lamar 6
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Lamar Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Daily Breeze.

Saturday, February 18, 2006: Dirtbags 4, Rice 1
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Rice Website. Daily Breeze. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Houston Chronicle.

Sunday, February 19, 2006: Oklahoma 2, Dirtbags 1
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Oklahoma Website. The Norman Transcript. Long Beach Press-Telegram.

The week/series: Baseball America's Top 25 Tracker.

Things go better with Coke! At least at Rice's Reckling Park. On the week, the Dirtbags were 2-2. After losing last Tuesday to Pepperdine, they traveled to Houston for the Coca-Cola Classis Tournament where they went 2-1 with victories over Lamar and #5 Rice (Baseball America rankings). They lost the finale to Oklahoma. On the week, pitching was excellent, hitting was inconsistent, and defense was...well, not so good.

Pitching: Over 33 innings, the staff allowed just 9 earned runs, for a 2.45 ERA. Andrew Carpenter's effort against Rice on Saturday (3 hits, 8 Ks, 2 BB, 1 run [earned]) merited BWC Pitcher of the Week honors (see below). Donnie Hume notched his 3rd save in the game, going 2.0 innings (2 hits, 1 K, 1 BB) while holding the Owls scoreless. Freshman Vance Worley had his best outing on Sunday, going 6.0 innings and allowing just 2 runs (both earned; 6 hits, 3 Ks, 2 BB). He took the loss when the Beach could muster only 1 run on 7 hits.

Hitting: Hot and cold. Against Pepperdine, the 49ers had 2 runs on 5 hits (5 for 28). On Sunday, it was 7 for 32, and just 1 runs, against Oklahoma. In the game against Rice, the Beach was just 6 for 28 but timely hitting was the key as LBSU scored 4 runs. But it was 11 runs on 16 hits (16 for 37) off Lamar pitching. Evan Longoria hit .538 (7 for 13) on the week, with 6 walks (a 1.000 on base percentage). He earned Player of the Week honors in the Big West (see below). Against Lamar, Scott Bradley went 4 for 5, with 3 RBI.

Fielding: Uncharacteristically, the Dirtbags committed at least 1 error in each of the 4 games, and a total of 7. They were spread around, with errors by 4 different players. Against Lamar, they had 4, leading to 3 unearned runs. On the plus side, no error led to a loss.

Finally, from the Long Beach Press-Telegram:

The Long Beach State baseball team claimed both the Big West Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week awards.

Third baseman Evan Longoria was named Player of the Week. He hit .538 in the 49ers' wins over Lamar and Rice in the Coca Cola Classic in Houston. He went 7 for 11 in the three games LBSU played in the tournament and had four walks.

Right-hander Andrew Carpenter was named Pitcher of the Week. He allowed one run and three hits in seven innings Saturday to help the Dirtbags beat fifth-ranked Rice on its own field. He struck out eight and walked two.

...is featured in this piece at MLB.com. Here's some excerpts:

Davis caught by early catching bug
Florida prospect hopes lifelong love will trump size issues
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

JUPITER, Fla. -- Brad Davis was only 5 or 6 years old -- he can't remember which -- growing up on the southern California coast, when his parents took him to the local Toys 'R Us to pick out a birthday present. What Davis chose surprised his parents, but they still bought it for him, setting the stage for what has become a lifelong obsession.

It wasn't a Hot Wheels car or a Power Ranger or a G.I. Joe that Davis snagged that day in the toy store. Rather, he grabbed a catcher's mask, surely not knowing as a child that he would someday be sitting in the clubhouse at Roger Dean Stadium, adjusting the catching equipment he hopes will someday provide his ticket to the Major Leagues.

"My parents tell that story all the time," said Davis, 23, whom the Marlins selected out of Long Beach State in the fifth round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft. "They told me I could get one thing, just one thing and I got a catcher's mask. I guess catching was just in my blood."

Having catching in one's blood is a good trait to have, especially since Davis is part of an organization that isn't exactly rife with catching prospects. Miguel Olivo and Josh Willingham are battling for the top spot behind the plate with the parent club this spring. But a strong showing over the next few weeks could put Davis in a favorable position for the future, especially if he can impress Florida's new manager, former catcher Joe Girardi....

For many of the pitchers with whom he's worked, Davis' size doesn't seem to matter, either. He caught Jered Weaver (first round, Angels, 2004), Abe Alvarez (second round, Boston, 2003) and Jason Vargas (second round, Marlins, 2004) while at Long Beach State, helping the Dirtbags staff post a 3.11 ERA, which was fourth best in the nation. He's also caught Taylor Tankersley (first round, Marlins, 2004) since being drafted and was behind the plate for Cesar Ramos (first round, Padres, 2005) when he was at LBS.

"He's a great guy to throw to," Vargas said. "I've thrown to him a couple of years now between college and the Minors, and he's a great guy behind the plate. I trust throwing to him. His size hasn't been an issue for me. He just might not have grown into his body yet. He's still young, like all of us here. But he's learned how to call and catch from a great pitching coach [Troy Buckley at LBS]. And for me, personally, he calls a good game."...

After a 2-2 week, with a midweek loss against #16 Pepperdine, and a win Saturday against #5 Rice (both Baseball America rankings) in their yard at the Coca-Cola Classic tourny, the Dirtbags moved down in 2 rankings, and up in 1. The Beach went from 19th to 18th in the Baseball America rankings, while falling from 15th to 17th in Collegiate Baseball, and 11th to 15th in National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Assn.

Here's the LongBeachState.com weekly release in pdf and html.

The Dirtbags travel to Malibu to take on Pepperdine this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. The Waves are 14th in Collegiate Baseball and 16th in the Baseball America rankings. Southpaw Donnie Hume (0-0, 1.50, 2 saves) will start for the Beach. Sophomore RHP Barry Enright (0-1, 11.42) will go for hosts. Pepperdine's release is here in html, and here as a pdf file.

The Dirtbags remain at #11 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Assn. poll this week.

Friday, February 10, 2006: Dirtbags 7, Cal 6
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Cal Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Daily Breeze. Napa Valley Register.

Saturday, February 11, 2006: Cal 3,Dirtbags 2
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Cal Website. Daily Breeze. Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Sunday, February 12, 2006: Cal 4, Dirtbags 1
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. Cal Website.

The series: Baseball America's Top 25 Tracker.

After sweeping USC, the Dirtbags lost their 1st series of the season at Cal, 2-1, and now stand at 4-2 on the year. The opening contest saw the Beach jump out to a 3-1 lead in the 2nd. After Cal tied the game at 4 in the 5th, the 49ers put 3 across in the top of the 6th. Final score, 7-6 Dirtbags. Centerfielder Robert Perry was the offensive star, going 4 for 5, with 2 RBI and a run scored. Three other Dirtbags collected 2 hits each: Sean Boatright, Brandon Godfrey and Tito Cruz. Sean and Tito both had doubles. Scott Turmail got the win, going 1.2 innings, giving up no runs, no walks and a single hit, after Jared Hughes' early departure (4.1 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned, 3 walks, 1 K, 1 HBP). Donnie Hume got his 2nd save (1.2 IP, no hits, 1 walk, no runs).

The story Saturday and Sunday, for the most part, was that the Dirtbags cooled at the plate. Against USC, the Beach had 21 runs on 34 hits. Friday against Cal, it was 7 runs on 13 hits. Over those 4 games, the average was 7 runs on 11.75 hits. For Saturday and Sunday against the Bears, combined, the Dirtbags scored just 3 runs on 13 hits. The frustration peaked on Sunday, as Long Beach State collected 8 hits, and 4 walks, yet scored only a single run while leaving 9 runners stranded.

Andrew Carpenter's effort on Saturday was wasted, as he went 7.0 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits. He struck out 2, while walking 1. Brett Andrade came on in relief in the 8th, facing the minimum. But in the 9th, the Bears hit back to back homeruns for the 3-2 victory.

Coming into the season, the bullpen was one of the biggest question marks. Despite the blown save on Saturday, the relievers have performed well thus far. In the loss on Sunday, Shane Peterson and Bryan Shaw both came on for an inning and held Cal in check to give the 'Bags a chance to come back. Neither allowed a run or hit. Six games into the season, the bullpen as a group is 3-1, with a 2.21 ERA, allowing 5 earned runs over 20.1 innings (and 4 saves against 1 blown save).

The Dirtbags fall back to 19th in the Baseball America rankings (from 17th), and to 15th in the Collegiate Baseball poll (from 12th). National Collegiate Baseball Writer's is not yet updated, and ESPN/Sports Weekly (the coaches poll) is not yet updating to in season polling from its pre-season poll.

The Dirtbags open the season 4-0, after their scrappy victory over Cal on the road in the opening game of a 3 game weekend set. It wasn't pretty, but they got the job done. Here's the line:

       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  R   H  E
LBSU   0  3  0  0  1  3  0  0  0  7  13  2
Cal.   0  1  0  0  3  0  2  0  0  6  12  2

More later.

...is featured in this piece in the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Here's an excerpt:

The Florida Marlins drafted [Sean] Boatright, who was the Big West Conference player of the week for his sterling play (4 for 10, five RBI) in a season-opening sweep of USC last weekend, in the 36th round, rather low for a muscular power hitter who has five-tool skills.

No other team would bite because of a disc problem in his back that has dogged him since 2002. The Marlins were sincerely interested but couldn't get medical clearance from their physicians to make him a representative offer.

"They were real straight with me," Boatright said this week before heading to Berkeley for a three-game series against Cal starting tonight. "They were interested but their doctors weren't confident of my health history.

"They've seen me play and their scouts know what I can do, and they're still interested. I'm healthy. They just figured it would be to my benefit to play another year."

Boatright falls into the draft-and-follow category the Marlins have his rights up to the start of the 2006 draft. If he has the kind of season of which he's capable, he can improve his stock financially well above what he was offered last year. He could either sign with the Marlins or re-enter the 2006 draft.

"I had no problem coming back to play. I love the school and the program.," Boatright said. "But you play college ball to get in this position."

Sean falls under the draft and follow rule because he is a 5th year senior.

Here's Cal's release on the Dirtbags/Bears series this weekend at Evans Diamond in Berkeley [html][pdf].

Cal opened the season at Irvine, taking game 1, then dropping the Saturday and Sunday contests. A mid-week loss to the San Francisco Dons has them on a 3 game skid. But the Dirtbags will need to be ready Friday, when junior RHP Brandon Morrow goes for the Bears. Morrow, a Baseball America 3rd team pre-season All-American, and on the watch list for the Roger Clemens Award, was named National Pitcher of the Week by both Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and The Rosenblatt Report for his masterful outing against the Anteaters last weekend. Over 6.1 innings, he no-hit Irvine, allowing just 2 baserunners (on a walk, and hit batter). [Box Score]. Looks like another great matchup, and challenge, for Jared Hughes!

Long Beach State is now 11th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association rankings, up from 17th in their pre-season poll.

Here's Rob McMillin's (6-4-2 blog) take on Sunday's 3 game sweep clincher at Blair Field.

The season is hardly old enough for uniforms to be dirty. But that doesn't stop the draft prognosticators from doing their thing. Here's the take from Todd Morgan at Oakland Clubhouse:

The college and prep seasons are underway, which means it's time to start thinking about the 2006 draft class. Last year, I decided to project the first round based not only on player talent, but also on predicted 2006 performance, June draft order and organizational need. I was successful in some places (Jeff Clement to the Mariners at #3 overall and Mike Pelfrey to the Mets at #9) and not so successful in others (Sean O'Sullivan to the Devil Rays at #8 and Stephen Head to the Pirates at #11). For the second consecutive year, I've gone through scouting reports and watched a lot of video to bring you my early edition of the 2006 first round. Somewhere around the halfway point of the college and prep seasons I plan to write an updated first round projection, with a final projection to come in the week preceding the draft...

6. Detroit Tigers - Evan Longoria, SS, R/R, 6'2, 185, Long Beach State

Evan Longoria enters the 2006 season trying to become the next Long Beach State infielder to be taken in the first round after Bobby Crosby (Athletics, 2001) and Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies, 2005). He came of age last summer when he was named MVP of the Cape Cod League, hitting .299/.331/.500 with eight homers and 35 RBI with wooden bats. He generates tremendous loft with his swing, but doesn't have the polish of his Dirtbag predecessors. Still, his power is special and the Tigers will take him as a third baseman and look forward to seeing him reach Comerica Park's left-field seats on a regular basis...

28. Boston Red Sox - Jared Hughes, RHP, R/R, 6'7, 235, Long Beach State

The Sox follow up their Antonelli pick by taking another collegiate standout. Coming out of high school in 2003, Jared Hughes was a power pitcher with first round talent who consistently threw in the mid-90s. He didn't get the signing bonus he was after and wound up heading to college rather than signing with Tampa Bay after they took him in the 16th round. Since transferring to Long Beach from Santa Clara Hughes has learned to pitch. He now works in the low-90s with good sink on his fastball, changes speeds and uses all four corners of the strike zone to put hitters away. His height allows him to throw down at hitters and he's adept at keeping the ball around the knees when necessary. At the same time, he is effectively wild, hitting 19 batters but walking only 23 against 87 strikeouts in 89 innings last season. Six-foot seven and willing to come inside? That's pretty intimidating. He probably doesn't have a lot of room to improve, but he should make quick work of the minors on his way to a big league rotation spot...

As Rich Lederer at The Baseball Analysts notes, there were quite a few MLB scouts in attendance during the Dirtbags/USC series. The Padres Director of Scouting, Bill Gayton, was one of them, there to watch Evan Longoria and other Dirtbag prospects. MadFriars.com's Frankie Piliere interviewed Evan. Here's a few excerpts (the full article is in the paid area):

On his MVP season in the Cape Cod League in 2005: "That was a lot of fun playing there. It is a great atmosphere to play in and just gives you some great experiences. But, the most important thing for me was the talent that I had the opportunity to play with. When you play with guys that talented, it just makes you a better player because you have to elevate your game."

On the most important thing he's learned in college baseball: "I've learned the importance and value of work ethic. There is nothing more important than working hard. You can be the most talented guy in the world, but the guy who works harder is going to come out on top."

On his thoughts about the 2006 draft: "It is tough to keep off your mind because you know it isn't that far off. A lot of people like to speculate about where I'm going to be picked, but I know that stuff takes care of itself. So, I just let other people do that speculation and I'll just do my thing on the field."

[Long Beach State.com story][Big West Conference Website]

.400 batting average. .538 on base percentage. .900 slugging percentage. 5 RBI. 3 runs scored. 2 doubles. 1 homerun. Not a bad weekend's work.

Update: Here's the Press-Telegram article from Tuesday morning on Sean's honor.

Eric Sorenson had this to say after the Dirtbags swept USC (from CSTV.com):

It's a little scary to see The Beach sweep a high-profile opponent on the first weekend of the season, considering how often they start the season out slowly as transfers and newbies adjust to each other. Not this time. Although all three games were pretty close, move LB into the Top 15, maybe Top 10 after this weekend.

Friday, February 3, 2006: Dirtbags 4, USC 2
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. USC Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Daily Breeze. Orange County Register.

Saturday, February 4, 2006: Dirtbags 9, USC 6
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. USC Website. Daily Breeze. Los Angeles Daily News.

Sunday, February 5, 2006: Dirtbags 8, USC 6
LongBeachState.com story. Box Score. USC Website. Long Beach Press-Telegram. Los Angeles Times.

On the series: The Baseball Analysts. Baseball America Top 25 Tracker.

On the strength of their season opening 3 game sweep of the Univ. of Southern California Trojans, the Dirtbags moved from 22nd to 17th in the Baseball America rankings, and 16th to 12th in Collegiate Baseball.

USC has not opened a season 0-3 since 1981. And Long Beach State has never swept a 3 game series with the Trojans. Until now. As usual, they did so with good pitching, posting a team 3.00 ERA for the series. But less familiar to fans of the Beach (at least in the recent past), they mashed the ball. As a team, Long Beach State hit .354 for the set, with a .429 on base percentage, and slugged at .552 (2 HR, 2 triples, 9 doubles). And 2 of the 3 games were at not so hitter friendly Blair Field (unless you count the fog assists on Friday night, to be fair). Perhaps most impressive, they came from behind late both Saturday and Sunday, in each case defeating pre-season All-American Paul Koss (0-2). Take a look at the stats for the individual numbers.

Okay, this is fun!

Off Dirtbags topic: I gotta give a hat tip to my law school alma mater, the Univ. of San Diego. The Toreros annihilated defending National Champions Texas in a 3 game sweep, by a combined score of 22-10 (including a 6-0 shutout on Saturday). Texas drops from 1st to 7th, and USD goes from unranked to 18th in Baseball America. And while we're talking sweeps, Stanford handed the Cal. State Fullerton Titans a 3 game sweep in Palo Alto, knocking Fullerton from 5th to 9th in the BA rankings.

Former Dirtbag Chris Demaria has signed a 1 year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, to whom he was recently traded by the Royals.

Home field advantage took on a new meaning as the Beach beat USC 4-2 at Blair Field last night, aided by two fog assisted doubles. LongBeachState.com has the story, and the box score. The annual LBSU/USC series always brings out large crowds, but with the game being the season opener and the Jared Hughes - Ian Kennedy pitching matchup of potential 1st round draft picks, the Dirtbags had the largest regular season attendance in their history at 3,189.

One of the big questions for 2006 is who will fill the key bullpen rolls. We may have seen part of the answer last night with sophomore LHP Donnie Hume earning his first save for the black and gold. Hume set the Trojans down in order in the 9th. During his freshman year, Donnie made 11 appearances, including 2 weeknight starts, going 19 innings. He was 1-1, with a 2.37 ERA.

Donnie Hume, Jared Hughes, Andrew Liebel and Brett Andrade are the only returning pitchers from last season's squad.

Rod McMillan (6-4-2 Angels/Dodgers Blog) has posted some pictures from the Dirtbags v. Pro Alumni Game.

Chris Jackson (Daily Breeze) has a good piece on the Dirtbags' challenge this season, with 22 of 35 players having no Division I experience (including 13 freshmen).

LongBeachState.com weekly release: Dirtbags Open Season With USC [html][pdf]. This year the series is home/away/home. Tomorrow night at Blair Field features one of the best pitching matchups you'll see in college baseball - anywhere and anytime this season. The Dirtbags' RHP Jared Hughes takes on the Trojans RHP Ian Kennedy. Baseball America projects them both as 1st round draft picks in June, with Kennedy at #7 and Jared at #25. Add to that BA's projection of Evan Longoria as the 10th pick overall, and tomorrow's edition of Friday Night Lights at Blair may have 10% of 2006 1st rounders on the field.

...is featured in this piece at MLB.com (hat tip to reader Joe):

The final analysis won't be available for several years, but the Padres feel they mined a rich supply of gold in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, from first-round picks Cesar Carrillo and Cesar Ramos down through the ranks.

"We feel like it was a great draft," said Grady Fuson, the club's chief of scouting and development. "We got a lot of young players who have a shot at having outstanding careers."

Venturing forward with a bold new design under club president Sandy Alderson, the former A's championship architect who believes in building from within with a lush crop of farm hands, the Padres were thrilled with the early returns on their '05 draft class.

In our first installment, we focused on the top four picks: pitchers Carrillo and Ramos, third baseman Chase Headley and catcher Nick Hundley. This time around in "Four Prospects to Get Excited About," we'll zero in on nuggets found in later rounds...

RHP Neil Jamison
A sixth-round selection, No. 188 overall, Jamison teamed with Ramos on the Long Beach State pitching staff and is determined to join the lefty on the big club down the road. Here's a candidate to someday follow in Trevor Hoffman's history-making footsteps.

If first impressions are any indication, Jamison could make it to San Diego sooner than later to begin the grooming process.

He couldn't have been more dominant his senior year with the Dirtbags of Long Beach State. He was 4-0 with 11 saves and did not allow an earned run in 29 2/3 innings, limiting hitters to a .158 batting average.

Moving from the campus life to Eugene, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound right-hander was lights-out in 25 appearances. Across 27 1/3 innings, Jamison struck out 31 with eight walks. He saved eight games and was 1-2 with a 1.32 ERA.

Taking it up a notch at Fort Wayne, he continued to flourish with 12 strikeouts and five walks in 10 innings, going 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He could return to Fort Wayne to start the '06 season or move up a notch to Class A Lake Elsinore of the California League.

"He was a late-inning stud all through college and continued in his first pro year," Fuson said. "He has an 88-90 fastball with a good slider. He's an outstanding strike thrower, missing bats down in the zone with a low, three-quarters delivery. He has presence, confidence and instincts on the mound with a history of success."

The game is in Jamison's blood. His father, Tom, played baseball at Santa Clara, and his mother, Kathy, was a softball player at San Diego State.

The Padres are Neil's hometown team. He hails from Ramona, in North San Diego County. As a high school senior, he also showed he could hit, setting a school record with 11 homers while batting .429....

Sorry for the posting lull - it's been a busy week in the "real world".

Last Saturday, along with a few hundred other folks, I enjoyed an afternoon at Blair Field taking in the Dirtbags versus Pro Alumni Game. Now, I wouldn't exactly call it great baseball, but it was great fun. A few observations:

* Practice matters. The Alumni looked to be having fun, but they clearly were rusty. Whether it was Cesar Ramos sailing one to the backstop, or John Bowker muffing a flyball, it showed that these guys have been off for 2 or 3 months.

* It was good to see Jered Weaver trying to improve his versatility, what with taking the field in right 1 inning, then playing 2nd base the next. And shortstop, and 3rd base. And the trip to the plate...ughh...forgetaboutit..

* The Dirtbags really do have a lot of new players. Be sure to get a program this weekend, you'll need it!

* Bobby Crosby must really enjoy these exhibitions. Word in the stands was that he was in Oakland for A's fans at their annual FanFest Saturday, then hopped Jet Blue to Long Beach. Bobby was in an Alumni uniform (with Oakland green stirups) by the 2nd inning!

* How about Vance Worley no-hitting those guys who get paid to hit baseballs for 4 innings. And punching out Bobby Crosby on a wicked called strike down and in.

My Big West Conference Preview is up at The Baseball Analysts.