Showing posts tagged “Cody Wheeler”
Mike Potter ·
23 Jul 2009, 10:41 PM ·
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Now they’re on a roll again.
USA Baseball’s National Team won its third straight game, walloping British Columbia 12-2 in a contest stopped by the mercy rule after eight innings, to earn the top seed for the medal round of the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, B.C.
Rice’s Rick Hague, Middle Tennessee’s Bryce Brentz (pictured) and Texas-Arlington’s Michael Choice each homered during the big fifth-inning rally for the Red, White and Blue.
B.C. took a 2-0 lead off Cody Wheeler of Coastal Carolina as Devon Franklin hit a solo shot in the first and Mike Collins added another in the fourth.
The USA, batting in the bottom of each frame, evened the score in the fourth on an RBI double from Arkansas’ Andy Wilkins and a wild pitch by Corey Parsons.
The winners then exploded in the fifth as Hague blasted a solo shot, Brentz a two-run tater and Choice another solo clout for a 6-2 lead.
Wheeler (3-0) pitched seven full innings, striking out 10.
The USA will play its first medal-round game Friday night at 10 (EDT) against the No. 2 seed, Canada’s National Team, with UCLA’s Gerrit Cole on the hill. The winner will get an automatic spot in Sunday’s title game.
Baseball, USA Baseball Andy Wilkins, Arkansas Razorbacks, British Columbia, Bryce Brentz, Canada, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Corey Parsons, Devon Franklin, Gerrit Cole, Michael Choice, Middle Tennessee, Mike Collins, Prince George Axemen, Rice Owls, Rick Hague, Texas-Arlington, UCLA, World Baseball Challenge
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 ·
5 Jul 2009, 7:10 PM ·
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Finally, a competitive game.
USA Baseball’s National Team took on an outside domestic opponent for the first time this season, beating the All-Stars of the New England Collegiate Baseball League 4-1 on Sunday in Manchester, N.H.
t was the first time Team USA, which opened with a five-game series against Canada’s 18U team followed by a four-game set against a weak Guatemala club, had beaten an opponent by fewer than six runs this season.
The contest was part of a doubleheader, the second half being an Eastern League squabble between the host New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Portland Sea Dogs.
Team USA, which has won 34 straight games going back to last season, led 3-0 before the NECBL picked up its only run in the fifth.
Coastal Carolina’s Cody Wheeler (pictured), who gave up the NECBL’s only two hits, improved to 2-0 with seven strikeouts in five innings while Texas Tech’s Chad Bettis cashed in on his team’s first save opportunity of the season.
Michael Choice of Texas-Arlington led the USA’s 13-hit attack with three hits including a double that was the game’s only extra-base hit, while Middle Tennessee’s Bryce Brentz added three singles.
Team USA will visit the Holyoke (Mass.) Blue Sox of the NECBL tonight.
Baseball, USA Baseball Bryce Brentz, Canada, Chad Bettis, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Eastern League, Guatemala, Holyoke Blue Sox, Manchester, Michael Choice, Middle Tennessee, NECBL, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Portland Sea Dogs, Texas Tech, Texas-Arlington
Mike Potter ·
5 Jul 2009, 12:58 AM ·
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At least it’s over.
USA Baseball’s National Team finished a four-game sweep of Guatemala on Saturday night with an 18-1 victory that wasn’t a bit out of context.
Arkansas’ Andy Wilkins (pictured) hit a 435-foot grand slam while Sonny Gray of Vanderbilt was the winning pitcher as the home team rocked the Quetzals for a fourth straight night in front of a full house at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on the city’s traditional July 4 fireworks night. Team USA players all wore No. 4 jerseys saluting Lou Gehrig on a night Major League Baseball used to promote awareness of ALS.
While Wilkins’ slam in the fifth inning was certainly a big hit and an exciting hit, it certainly wasn’t a key hit.
In the National Team’s four wins over Guatemala in Kannapolis, Cary and Durham, the USA scored a total of 61 runs to the visitors’ two. That score would make for a very, very miserable football game. Continue reading »
Baseball, Durham Bulls, USA Baseball Al Yevoli, ALS, Andy Wilkins, Arkansas Razorbacks, Cary, Chinese Taipei, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Cuba, Eastern League, embargo, Guatemala, High Point Panthers, Japan, Kannapolis, Lou Gehrig, Major League Baseball, Manchester, Manuel Hernandez, Marlon Claveria, NECBL, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Portland Sea Dogs, Republic of China, Rick Jones, Sonny Gray, South Korea, Taiwan, Tulane, Vanderbilt, World Baseball Classic
Mike Potter ·
28 Jun 2009, 10:22 PM ·
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DBAP/DURHAM OK baseball fans, today I’m “Safe at Home in Durham” (although I live in Brier Creek now) for Game 4 of the USA National Team’s five-game set with Canada.
The Red, White and Blue, which has won all three by comfortable scores, will be favored once again. Not just because the U.S. is just better than Canada in baseball at the amateur level, but also because the Canucks have sent an 18U team. Good for the young boys from Canada to get some experience - I mean every golfer would like to play a round with Tiger Woods, right? - but for competitive balance, not so much.
When I get to the press box I learn there will be a total of two keyboard journalists in the house, and that we will be the first to cover any game in the series, which started on Thursday night in Cary. Kudos to the News & Observer for getting to the game, and I’m not going to take shots at the papers in Burlington or Greensboro or any of the smaller surrounding cities for not being here. I’m just not. I would have been around for the first three myself, but I couldn’t be in Zebulon and Durham at the same time.
Today the buffet menu includes both your standard meat-and-tomato sauce lasagna along with a vegetable alternative and Caesar salad.
Canada scored five runs in the first inning on Saturday night before losing 14-5, and today it’s competitive early. After the USA, which is the designated “visiting” team, scratches out two in the first, the Canadians tie it in the bottom of the frame.
But when veteran Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton - the only school for which somehow game ops does not have the fight song - blasts a two-out, 0-1 offering over the Blue Monster wall in left in the second, the tricolor boys are off to the races. USA scores two in the third, two in the fifth, five in the sixth, four in the seventh and it’s a challenge to stay engaged in the process.
The homeboys eventually win it 20-3, with 11 different players hitting safely and Coastal Carolina’s Cody Wheeler (pictured) getting the win. In other USA Baseball action on Sunday, Babe Ruth beat Bryce Harper and the American Legion team 8-7 for the championship of the Tournament of Stars.
Continue reading »
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball American Legion, Asher Wojciechowski, Babe Ruth, Boston Red Sox, Bryce Harper, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Cary, Christian Colon, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Cuba, Florida State Seminoles, Greg Hamilton, Jason Bay, Jerome Werniuk, Justin Morneau, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, News & Observer, Rick Jones, Russell Martin, Steve McKinnon, Texas Rangers, The Citadel, Tiger Woods, Tournament of Stars, Tulane, Tyler Holt, World Baseball Classic
Mike Potter ·
27 Jun 2009, 11:18 PM ·
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Maybe it was the managerial skills of “Trader Jack” McKeon that inspired a Red, White and Blue comeback on Saturday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Canada burst out to a 5-0 lead after half an inning, but the USA National Team pounded out 14 hits to claim a 14-5 victory and win its third straight to start the five-game series. Florida State’s Tyler Holt (pictured) reached safely six times with three hits including a pair of doubles with two RBI.
It was also another big day at the 18U Tournament of Stars at the National Training Complex in Cary, as uberprospect Bryce Harper and his American Legion team advanced to today’s 4 p.m. title game against the Babe Ruth team.
In the National Team’s win, Cal State-Fullerton’s Christian Colon had two hits including a triple with two RBI, while Rice’s Rick Hague added two hits including a double with two RBI.
T.J. Walz of Kansas got the win in relief, tallying nine strikeouts and allowing only one hit.
Cody Wheeler of Coastal Carolina is scheduled to pitch for the USA in Game 4 today at 5:05 at DBAP.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball American Legion, Babe Ruth, Bryce Harper, Cal State-Fullerton, Christian Colon, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Florida State, Jack McKeon, Kansas Jayhawks, Rice Owls, Rick Hague, T.J. Walz, Tournament of Stars, Tyler Holt
Mike Potter ·
22 Jun 2009, 7:46 PM ·
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Michael Choice (pictured) of Texas-Arlington blasted a three-run homer in the sixth inning, pacing the Blues to an 8-5 win over the Reds in a USA National Team intrasquad this afternoon at the National Training Complex in Cary.
Arizona State’s Matt Newman hit a three-run homer to lead the Reds.
In other news about the team, Utah’s Bill Kinneberg has been named head coach for 2010 while Cal State-Fullerton’s Dave Serrano will be the pitching coach.
Kolten Wong of Hawaii and Wright State’s Casey McGrew had RBI singles for the Blues in today’s contest.
Tyler Holt of Florida State added an RBI double and Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton an RBI single for the Reds.
Continue reading »
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Arizona State, Asher Wojciechowski, Bill Kinneberg, Cal State-Fullerton, Christian Colon, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Florida State, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Kolten Wong, Matt Newman, Michael Choice, Texas-Arlington, The Citadel, Tyler Holt, Utah Utes, Wright State
