Showing posts tagged “Christian Colon”
Mike Potter ·
25 Jul 2009, 5:06 PM ·
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USA Baseball’s National Team captain Christian Colon (pictured) will be unavailable for Sunday’s championship game of the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, B.C., after suffering a broken tibia and fibula Friday night.
Colon, the shortstop out of Cal State-Fullerton, was carried off the field in the top of the eighth after Canada’s Nic Lendvoy came in with a hard slide during a 5-6-3 double play. After the collision both benches cleared, but no further violence ensued.
The USA won the pitchers’ duel 1-0, after which the Americans declined to participate in a post-game handshake.
Colon is scheduled to receive additional medical treatment upon his return to Southern California on Sunday.
Team USA will face Germany, which gave the Americans their only loss in round-robin play, on Sunday at 7 p.m. (EDT) for the championship. The game will be streamed live online www.worldbaseball.ca.
Baseball, USA Baseball British Columbia, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Christian Colon, Germany, Nic Lendvoy, Prince George, World Baseball Challenge
Mike Potter ·
25 Jul 2009, 1:16 AM ·
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Gerrit Cole (pictured) delivered the goods just when USA Baseball’s National Team needed it.
The big right-hander out of UCLA fired a two-hitter late Friday night, leading his team to a 1-0 victory over Canada and a berth in Sunday’s championship game of the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, B.C.
The USA, which finished with only three hits of its own, got its run in the bottom of the second. Miami’s Yasmani Grandal hit a two-out single, and then scored on a triple from Arkansas’ Andy Wilkins.
Cole struck out seven, walking one batter and hitting two and never allowing a runner to reach third. He struck out the side in the ninth inning.
Jordan Rawlyk pitched four innings for Canada while Eric Brown fired the last four.
The game was marred by an incident in the eighth inning, when the Canucks’ Nic Lendvoy slid hard into Cal State-Fullerton’s Christian Colon during the shortstop’s successful turn of a 5-6-3 double play. The benches cleared, albeit with no punches thrown, and Team USA declined to participate in a post-game handshake line with Colon still on a stretcher and undergoing treatment.
The title game is Sunday at 7 p.m. (EDT) with Ole Miss’ Drew Pomeranz expected to pitch for the USA in the team’s final game of the season. The other team in the final will be determined Saturday, when Germany and British Columbia square off for the right to play Canada for the title-game berth.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Andy Wilkins, Arkansas Razorbacks, British Columbia, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Christian Colon, Drew Pomeranz, Eric Brown, Germany, Gerrit Cole, Jordan Rawlyk, Miami Hurricanes, Mississippi Rebels, Nic Lendvoy, Ole Miss, Prince George, UCLA, World Baseball Challenge, Yasmani Grandal
Mike Potter ·
23 Jul 2009, 1:49 AM ·
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Rice’s Rick Hague (pictured) went 3-for-4 with a homer Wednesday night, leading USA Baseball’s National Team to a 10-2 romp over the host Prince George Axemen at the World Baseball Challenge in British Columbia.
Team USA improved to 3-1 in round-robin play and into a three-way tie for first place, while the Axemen fell to 2-2.
The Axemen took the lead in the first inning on Darrin Doucette’s double, but the Americans responded with four runs in the fourth. The big blows in that inning were a solo homer from Texas-Arlington’s Michael Choice and a two-run shot from veteran Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton.
Hague homered to lead off the fifth, and the Americans added another run in the fifth and two in the sixth to put the game away.
Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray struck out five and allowed the one run in seven innings on the hill. Tom Nielsen went five innings in the loss.
The USA plays its final round-robin game today at 6 p.m. (EDT) against Team BC, which is also tied for first. Coastal Carolina’s Cody Wheeler is the scheduled starter for the USA.
The elimination round begins Saturday with the title game on Sunday at 7 p.m. (EDT).
Baseball, USA Baseball British Columbia, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Christian Colon, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Darrin Doucette, Michael Choice, Prince George Axemen, Rice Owls, Rick Hague, Sonny Gray, Texas-Arlington, Tom Nielsen, Vanderbilt, World Baseball Challenge
Mike Potter ·
20 Jul 2009, 9:41 AM ·
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Yasmani Grandal (pictured) blasted a two-run homer in the sixth, giving USA Baseball’s National Team the lead for good in a 5-2 win over host Canada in the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia.
The win in the opener of the event broke the Americans’ two-game losing streak.
Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton gave the USA a lead in the first with his solo homer.
The Canadians took the lead by scratching out two in the bottom of the frame off Ole Miss’ Drew Pomeranz. Kevin Atkinson scored the first run on a sacrifice fly, while Nic Lendovy brought home the second on a fielder’s choice.
The winning rally came with two out in the sixth, when Tennessee’s Blake Forsythe drew a two-out walk and Grandal, a rising junior at Miami, followed with his two-run blast to right.
The USA got insurance runs on a wild pitch in the eighth and an RBI double from Hawaii’s Kolten Wong in the ninth.
Pomeranz (3-1) of picked up the victory, striking out six in six innings. Tulane’s Nick Pepitone collected the save.
Danny Briton-Foster also had a quality start, going six innings for the Canadians.
The USA’s second game in the event is against Germany, tonight at 10 p.m. EDT.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Blake Forsythe, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Christian Colon, Danny Briton-Foster, Drew Pomeranz, Germany, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Kevin Atkinson, Kolten Wong, Miami Hurricanes, Mississippi Rebels, Nic Lendovy, Nick Pepitone, Ole Miss, Prince George, Tennessee Volunteers, Tulane, World Baseball Challenge, Yasmani Grandal
Mike Potter ·
16 Jul 2009, 5:22 PM ·
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It all ended in an extra-inning heartbreaker.
USA Baseball’s National Team came within a whisker of knocking off homestanding Japan in their 37th annual Collegiate Friendship Series, but a pair of errors in the 11th inning spelled doom in an 8-7 loss at Jingu Stadium in the deciding Game 5.
Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray made an errant pickoff attempt to move Shota Kioke to third base with two outs. And then the team’s only returning player from last season, Cal State-Fullerton’s Christian Colon, kicked a ground ball at short to give the Japanese the victory.
The Americans seemed to have the game in hand through 8 ½ innings after scoring three times in the top of the ninth for a 7-4 lead. After Tomoyuki Sugano misplayed a sacrifice bunt to score Hawaii’s Kolten Wong (pictured), Clemson’s Brad Miller added insurance with a single to right and Florida State’s Tyler Holt followed with a sacrifice fly.
But Japan answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame off Texas Tech’s Chad Bettis. Masayoshi Kato hit a two-run triple to chase Bettis before Keiji Nakahara greeted Gray (2-1) with a single to right center.
Yusuke Nomura (1-0) got the win for Japan.
Rice’s Rick Hague led the USA with a homer and a single.
Team USA will travel to Prince George, British Columbia, for the Enbridge Northern Gateway World Baseball Challenge beginning Sunday at 10 p.m. (EDT) against Canada.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Brad Miller, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Chad Bettis, Christian Colon, Clemson, Florida State, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Japan, Jingu Stadium, Keiji Nakahara, Kolten Wong, Masayoshi Kato, Rice Owls, Rick Hague, Shota Kioke, Sonny Gray, Texas Tech, Tomoyuki Sugano, Tyler Holt, Vanderbilt, Yusuke Nomura
Mike Potter ·
14 Jul 2009, 10:05 AM ·
1 Comment
A three-run homer in the fourth inning from Christian Colon (pictured) of Cal State-Fullerton provided the big blow as USA Baseball’s National Team blew past Japan 8-4, giving the Americans a 2 games to 1 lead in their 37th annual best-of-5 Collegiate Friendship Series.
Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray (2-0) pitched 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to hold down the Japanese, who scored three times in the first inning to delight the partisan crowd in Sendai. Takahiro Araki had an RBI triple and Masayoshi Kato a two-run triple in Japan’s big rally.
Team USA scored four runs in the second to take the lead for good. After Tennessee’s Blake Forsythe hit an RBI single to being in Yasmani Grandal of Miami, Florida State’s Tyler Holt, Clemson’s Brad Miller and Colon followed with RBI singles.
After Colon’s game-deciding heroics, Keiji Nakahara homered for the Japanese in the bottom of the frame.
Yusuke Nomura took the loss.
Game 4 is Wednesday at 5 a.m. (EDT) in Tsuruoka.
Baseball, USA Baseball Add new tag, Blake Forsythe, Brad Miller, Cal State-Fullerton, Christian Colon, Clemson, Florida State, Japan, Keiji Nakahara, Masayoshi Kato, Miami Hurricanes, Sendai, Sonny Gray, Takahiro Araki, Tennessee Volunteers, Tsuroka, Tyler Holt, Vanderbilt, Yasmani Grandal, Yusuke Nomura
Mike Potter ·
12 Jul 2009, 9:34 AM ·
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Score one for the Red, White and Blue.
USA Baseball’s National Team got the kind of pitching performance it was looking for, as UCLA’s Gerrit Cole (pictured) struck out nine in seven innings in a 3-0 victory over Japan in the opener of the college squads’ 37th annual Friendship Series in Matsuyama, Japan.
It was the opener of their best-of-5 series, in which all five games are set to be played even if someone clinches early.
Cole allowed just two hits and one walk in his stint before Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray and Chad Bettis of Texas Tech each fired one inning of relief. Karuhito Futagami took the loss for the Japanese, who had only one runner reach third base.
The USA scored twice in the fourth inning. Florida State’s Tyler Holt singled, and then Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton tripled before Arizona State’s Matt Newman followed with a single.
Keiji Nakahara had a seventh-inning triple for the Japanese.
Andy Wilkins of Arkansas hit an RBI single in the ninth to add an insurance run.
Game 2 is Monday at 5 a.m. (EDT) at the Tokyo Dome, with Ole Miss’ Drew Pomeranz on the hill for the USA.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Arizona State, Arkansas Razorbacks, Cal State-Fullerton, Chad Bettis, Christian Colon, Drew Pomeranz, Florida State, Gerrit Cole, Japan, Karuhito Futagami, Keiji Nakahare, Matsuyama, Matt Newman, Mississippi Rebels, Ole Miss, Sonny Gray, Texas Tech, Tokyo Dome, Tyler Holt, UCLA, Vanderbilt
Mike Potter ·
6 Jul 2009, 11:21 PM ·
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Domestic opposition may be giving USA Baseball’s National Team its first serious competition of the season, but for the second straight day the Red, White and Blue won a three-run victory.
Bryce Brentz (pictured) of Middle Tennessee led the way with a double and a single for two RBI in a 5-2 victory over the Holyoke Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
The crowd of 4,811 was a park record.
Jake Rosenbeck of Buffalo homered for Holyoke in the first inning off Kansas’ eventual winning pitcher T.J. Walz (2-0), just the second homer USA pitching has allowed this season.
The USA set a National Team club record with 11 stolen bases in the contest, with four steals from Cal State-Fullerton’s Christian Colon setting a new individual mark.
The Red, White and Blue’s winning streak is 35 games. Tuesday’s scheduled contest with the NECBL’s North Shore Navigators in Lynn, Mass., has been cancelled because of rain. The team now heads to Japan for six games including the annual five-game Friendship Series with its Japanese counterpart.
Baseball, USA Baseball Bryce Brentz, Buffalo Bulls, Christian Colon, Holyoke Blue Sox, Jake Rosenbeck, Japan, Kansas Jayhawks, Lynn, Middle Tennessee, NECBL, North Shore Navigators, T.J. Walz
Mike Potter ·
3 Jul 2009, 10:28 PM ·
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COLEMAN FIELD/CARY It’s Game 3 of what has so far been a very lopsided series between the USA National Team and Guatemala.
In Game 1 on Wednesday night in Kannapolis the USA pitching staff combined for 24 strikeouts and then on Thursday night on this field the staff combined for the first official no-hitter in team history.
The crowd is a little bigger on a very pleasantly warm evening at the National Training Complex, perhaps drawn in by the post-game fireworks. And maybe there will be some during the game, too.
The USA is in camo uniforms tonight to celebrate the Independence Day weekend.
To review, this Guatemalan team has a massively wide age range. Infielder Jorge Gutierrez, who came into the game with the Quetzals’ only two hits of the series and isn’t in the starting lineup, is 42 while center fielder Manuel Hernandez is 16.
And once again, I’m the only one in the house representing local media - or in fact any general-circulation publication not specializing in baseball. Baseball America is also on site.
The Americans are batting in the top of the first inning, and it quickly becomes obvious this is like the movie “Groundhog Day” for the overmatched Guatemalans, who are on the way to an 18-0 loss that’s stopped after seven innings. UCLA’s Trevor Bauer (pictured) gets the win. Continue reading »
Baseball, Durham Bulls, USA Baseball Al Yevoli, Baseball America, Bryce Brentz, Cal State-Fullerton, Cary, Christian Colon, Groundhog Day, High Point Panthers, Jorge Gutierrez, Kannapolis, Manuel Hernandez, Mario Cruz, Marlon Claveria, Michael Choice, Middle Tennessee, Rick Jones, San Diego Padres, Sonny Gray, Texas-Arlington, Trevor Bauer, Tulane, UCLA, Vanderbilt
Mike Potter ·
2 Jul 2009, 11:14 PM ·
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COLEMAN FIELD/CARY It’s Game 2 of the USA National Team series against Guatemala, and the main suspense is to see whether or not the visitors can get closer than Wednesday night’s 15-1 loss in Kannapolis.
It’s partly cloudy and warm - temperatures in the high ’80s - and the crowd for this one is pretty sparse.
There are no food freebies for the media tonight. Bummer. At least I’ve called ahead to find out and had a good meal at home with the family.
Already today I’ve been at Durham Bulls Athletic Park to do an interview with a player for a “Top 50 prospects” project for a baseball website.
The Bulls weren’t home on Wednesday either and neither were the Carolina Mudcats, making it one of those rare days since March on which there wasn’t at least one high quality baseball game in the Triangle.
That off-day gave me some time for some serious exploration of Facebook, which I had never bothered to join until last weekend. I’m going to start posting my Indy posts to my page every day, as well as putting them all on Twitter, where I am “mikepotterrdu.”
Guatemala has about the widest age range I have ever seen on a baseball team that plays together regularly. Infilelder Jorge Gutierrez, who got the only two hits on Wednesday, is 42, while center fielder Manuel Hernandez is 16.
And apparently on what turns out to be an historic night, I am the only journalist covering the game for local media (Baseball America is also in the house) as the USA wins 10-0 on the first regular-season no-hitter in team history. UCLA’s Gerrit Cole (pictured), The Citadel’s Asher Wojciechowski, Tulane’s Nick Pepitone and Texas Tech’s Chad Bettis team up for the feat. (The 9-0 win against Canada in 2004 at DBAP was during the team’s “trials” phase.) Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, Durham Bulls, USA Baseball Andy Wilkins, Arkansas Razorbacks, Asher Wojciechowski, Baseball America, Blake Forsythe, Bryce Brentz, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Casey McGrew, Chad Bettis, Christian Colon, Facebook, Follow us on Twitter!, Gerrit Cole, Guatemala, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Jorge Gutierrez, Manuel Hernandez, Middle Tennessee, Nick Pepitone, Rick Jones, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas Tech, The Citadel, Trevor Bauer, Tulane, UCLA, Wright State
