Conference USA Baseball 2007 Midseason Review

The college baseball season has moved beyond the halfway point, but things are still relatively fresh in C-USA play. Its not surprise that all 9 teams are playing very competitive baseball, with 7 having records over .500 and 3 teams having already surpassed the 20 win plateau. With things starting to heat up in conference play, here's a look around the league.

Houston (15-13 overall, 3-0 C-USA)

Houston is coming off a tough loss to Baylor in an out of conference match up, but now gets set for a 3-game series at home against C-USA opponent UAB. The Cougars have been getting work done at the plate, where they are batting .297 as a team, led by sophomore junior college transfer Jimmy Cesario who is batting .346. The power exhibited by Houston has also been very impressive; 10 players have gone deep for a total of 26 home runs through 28 games.

There have been struggles for the Cougar pitching staff, with starters Wes Musick and Aaron Brown providing the only real solid work so far. If Houston can solidify their bullpen a little and find a consistent third starter, this team has the potential to finish very strong.

UAB (15-16 overall, 3-0 C-USA)

After sweeping UCF to kick off their C-USA schedule, UAB dropped a 2-1 decision to Alabama after the Crimson Tide plated the winning run in the 8 th inning on a sacrifice bunt. The Blazers get ready now for a 3-game series on the road against Houston in a battle between the two top squads in the C-USA.

With a .298 batting average on the year, it’s been all about small ball for UAB. Of the Blazers 319 hits, less than a quarter of them have been extra base hits. Add in a fantastic 44 of 53 on stolen base attempts, and it’s clear that UAB likes to run teams right off the field. The combination of J.R. Bond, Ryan Keedy, and Ryne Lovdahl has been stellar for UAB; the three seniors are collectively batting .369 while having hit 8 of the UABs 12 home runs and been responsible for 40% of all runs batted in.

Tulane (23-8 overall, 5-1 C- USA)

The Green Wave have started out hot in conference play, most recently taking 2 out of 3 games from a good East Carolina team last weekend. Tulane followed that up with a 16-9 drubbing of LSU on Tuesday. Up ahead are three more games at the friendly confines of Zephyr Field, this time against conference foe Memphis.

Tulane has been putting up very big numbers with the bats this season, having already topped 15 runs in a game 4 times this season. With 6 regulars batting better than .300 and an overall team average of .303 its no wonder the Green Wave find themselves ranked in every major baseball poll.

If that wasn’t enough, the pitching staff has been absolutely lights out this season. Starters Shooter Hunt and Sean Morgan have each won 6 games while posting ERAs of 1.53 and 1.84 respectively. Add in senior closer Daniel Latham who is 2-1 with 7 saves and a 2.77 ERA in 16 appearances and you have the three anchors of a staff that has a combined ERA of 3.03.

Everything is clicking right now for Tulane; expect to continue to see them in the polls.

Rice (23-10 overall, 5-1 C- USA)

The top-10 power out of Texas has put together a 4-game winning streak after sweeping Marshall last weekend and knocking off Prairie View A&M on Tuesday. A road trip to Greenville, NC is next for a 3-game series with East Carolina.

Juniors Joe Savery and Jordon Dodson have led the way for the Owls at the plate. Savery leads the team in batting with a .344 average at the plate. Dodson has provided plenty of power, leading the team with 6 home runs and 34 RBIs, while still batting a respectable .286.

Rice may possess the best pitching staff in C-USA this season. They’re top 4 starters all have ERAs under 3.00 and have combined for a record of 16-4 on the season while striking out 146 batters in 171.1 innings.

Things look very bright for the Owls who have the talent to contend for a C-USA title this year.

East Carolina (21-9 overall, 4-2 C- USA)

After winning 14 straight games at one point, East Carolina had hit a tough stretch, losing 3 out of their last 4 games, including 2 to C-USA opponent Tulane. Things won’t be getting any easier for the Pirates as they face one of the elite teams in the country in the form of Rice.

Like most of the other teams in the C-USA is a strong offensive team. They have slugged a very impressive 31 home runs in just 30 games, led by senior Ryan Tousley who has hit 7 while batting .316 and driving in 33 RBIs.

Josh Dowdy and Dustin Sasser have been the steady arms in the pitching rotation. The two starters have gone 4-2 combined with ERAs under 2.50 in 73.2 innings of work.

The Pirates are another tough team all around that should find themselves near the top of the conference at seasons end.

Memphis (17-11 overall, 3-3 C- USA)

The Tigers should feel pretty good coming off their sweep of Southern Miss, but now face a tough match up on the road in a 3-game series with Tulane.

In an overall consistent Memphis lineup, Bill Moss has stood out tremendously. The senior leads the team in all 3 major offensive categories; batting .370 with 9 home runs and 30 RBIs. Add in Joey Lieberman’s 4 home runs and 27 RBIs and the Tigers have their 1-2 power punch.

The pitching staff has struggled with an ERA near 5.00. Matt Yokley has been the only standout starter with a 3-2 record, 2.14 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched.

A series win over the tough Green Wave would do a lot for Memphis and their confidence.

Southern Miss (18-12 overall, 1-5 C-USA)

It’s been a rough conference schedule so far for the Golden Eagles. After taking their first C- USA game from a very good Rice team, they have dropped 5 straight, including being swept by Memphis. They picked up a win against Nicholls State on Tuesday, and can look forward to a road series now against last place UCF.

Second baseman Trey Sutton has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise mediocre batting order. The junior is batting .361 with 2 home runs and 23 RBIs. He leads the Golden Eagles in nearly every offensive category.

The great starting pitching of Todd McInnis and Ryan Belanger has managed to keep Southern Miss a winning ball club. McInnis, a freshman who was twice All-State in high school, has compiled a 4-1 record with a 2.17 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched. Belanger, a second year senior transfer from community college, is 5-2 with a 2.57 ERA and an impressive 43 strikeouts in 49 innings of work.

Marshall (14-13 overall, 0-6 C-USA)

It’s been a tough stretch for Marshall who has lost 9 straight games, including being swept by C-USA opponents Tulane and Rice. Up next for the Thundering Herd are a few independent contests against Liberty and Cincinnati.

Senior Brendan Murphy and teammate Brandon Casamassi have been the only means of offensive production in an otherwise mediocre lineup. Murphy has slugged 7 home runs and driven in 22 runs while Casamassi has hit 5 long balls and knocked in 20 runs. Both batters are hitting significantly below .300 though.

Brian Chrisman has been the only productive starter and the only one with a winning record or an ERA under 6.00. Nick Wolle has been great out of the bullpen with a 1.47 ERA and 6 saves in 18.1 innings pitched.

UCF (16-17 overall, 0-6 C-USA)

The troubles continue for UCF who is in the midst of a 4-game skid after losing to Southern Florida on Tuesday. The Golden Knights however will be home at Jay Bergman Field this weekend with a chance to steal a game or two from Southern Miss.

First baseman Kiko Vazquez has provided some offense with his 4 home runs and 25 RBIs, but with a .271 team average and only 61 extra base hits in 1110 at-bats, this isn’t a very dangerous lineup.

The pitching staff has lacked real consistency, with Jaager Good being the only regular starter. Justin Weiss and Brian Brooks have looked good out of the bullpen with a 4-1 combined record and only 9 earned runs and 28 strikeouts in 36.2 innings of work.