Dec. 15, 2009

Lineup Card

Lineup Card is a new feature on CollegeBaseballInsider.com, highlighting notes from around college baseball.

Dec. 1-15, 2009

LSU head coach Paul Mainieri participated in the annual Tree of Life ceremony at Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge on Dec. 10. The Tree of Life honors or memorializes loved ones of patients and staff, who purchase ornaments and place them on the tree. Mainieri read the names of those being honored as the ornaments were placed on the tree. Proceeds from the ceremony benefited the Baton Rouge Patient Assistance Fund.

The University of South Florida has partnered with Apple to provide all its student-athletes with access to a MacBook Pro 13-inch notebook computer every semester. The notebooks will allow student-athletes to work on course assignments and view academic materials at any time and in any location. USF will be adding new lectures to iTunes U. The program was made possible by an allocation from the NCAA Academic Enhancement Fund, private funds raised by the Bulls Club annual auction and a grant from the Verizon Foundation.

Former East Carolina standout T.J. Hose was named the Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League Pitcher of the Year by MLB.com. He combined for 12 saves and a 2.11 ERA in Class A stops at South Bend and Visalia. Hose fanned 70 and walked 17 in 59.2 innings. He received Midwest League All-Star honors for South Bend.

North Carolina will hold its Diamond Heels’ First Pitch Dinner on Jan. 30 at the Carolina Club. Peter Gammons, a 1969 UNC graduate, will be the featured speaker. Guests will have an opportunity to meet the 2010 Tar Heels and hear the senior class preview the upcoming season. A social and silent auction will precede dinner. A live auction will follow dinner.

The New Mexico baseball team earned the National Guard Award for support of those serving active duty. The Lobos held a free baseball hitting clinic for children of service men and women in the National Guard on Nov. 14. There were 38 campers at the Albuquerque Baseball Academy.

The Duke baseball team worked on several community-service projects on Sat., Dec. 5. The Blue Devils divided by class and volunteered at the Duke Children’s Hospital (seniors), the Urban Ministries of Durham Soup Kitchen (juniors), the Central Regional Hospital (sophomores) and Girls on the Run (freshmen). click here for photo gallery

Former Manhattan standout Mike Parisi was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 2009 MLB Rule 5 Draft. He had been taken by the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth round of the 2004 MLB draft. The right-hander is 40-39 with a 4.27 ERA in 115 minor league starts in the Cardinals’ system. Parisi made his major league debut in 2008.

Former UCLA right-hander Hector Ambriz was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 2009 MLB Rule 5 Draft. He was taken in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ambriz was a combined 12-11 with a 4.94 ERA in 28 games between AA Mobile and AAA Reno in 2009. He has a career mark of 28-35 in the minors with a 4.41 ERA. Ambriz has 438 strikeouts and 154 walks in 98 games.

Head coach Tracy Woodson announced that Dan Plesac will be the featured speaker at the third annual Valparaiso Baseball Bash on Sat., Jan. 30. Plesac, a first-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 1983, pitched for 18 seasons in the major leagues. He is currently an analyst on MLB Network. Plesac and Woodson were teammates at NC State.

Former Kent State assistant coach Richard Schoonover passed away on Monday, Dec. 7. Schoonover was an assistant under Bob Todd beginning in 1986. He moved with Todd to Ohio State for the 1988 season, but returned to the Golden Flashes for the 1989 campaign. Schoonover was pitching coach for seven seasons on the staffs of both Danny Hall from 1989-93 and Rick Rembielak from 1994-96. KSU was second in the nation in ERA in 1992 at 2.61 and led the country in 1993 at 2.37. click here for Kent State article on Schoonover

Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker will be the keynote speaker at Wright State’s 2010 First Pitch Banquet on Wed., Jan. 27, at the Ervin J. Nutter Center. A reception and silent auction will precede dinner. Baker has been in Major League baseball for 35 years, including 19 as a player. He has been NL Manager of the Year three times.

Ball State will hold its seventh annual Meet the Team Night on Sat., Feb. 6, at the Ball State University Alumni Center. A reception with silent auction will precede dinner. The players and coaches will be introduced after dinner, followed by a live auction.  

Louisville has named seniors Jeff Arnold and Adam Duvall as team captains, selected by players and coaches. Arnold batted .246 a season ago with three homers and 32 RBI. The catcher hit .412 in five Big East Tournament games with two home runs and six RBI. Duvall hit .328 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI with 83 runs in 2009. He was named third team All-Big East at second base.

Keith Moreland will have his No. 3 jersey retired by Texas. Moreland was a three-time first team All-American and helped the Longhorns reach the College World Series in each of his three seasons (1973-75). He posted a .388 batting average with 274 hits, 183 RBI and 53 doubles. Texas posted a record of 160-21, including 58-8 in the Southwest Conference with three league titles. Moreland played 12 years in the Major Leagues. He currently provides color commentary of Texas football and baseball games. Moreland was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame this past summer.

The Alabama Athletic Department and Project Angel Tree continued their 18-year association on Tuesday, Dec. 1, as student-athletes gave presents to more than 40 children at Coleman Coliseum. The program supports children whose parents are incarcerated. Former Alabama All-American pitcher David Robertson, a member of the World Champion New York Yankees, presented gift cards to Project Angel Tree to further assist children during the holiday season. Robertson is pictured with Prison Fellowship Ministry President Mark Early (left) and Alabama Director of Athletics Mal Moore.

Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole, former Bulldog Tom Mendonca and author Paul Loeffler will hold a book signing at the Bulldog Shop on Dec. 9 from 1-2:30 p.m. for Underdogs to Wonderdogs. The book chronicles the 2008 national championship season for Fresno State.

Former West Virginia standout Vince Belmone was named one of 10 players on the Topps Short Season/Rookie All-Star Team. A CBI All-American in 2009, Belnome batted .297 in 65 games with the Eugene Emeralds with 10 homers, 44 RBI, 16 doubles and 53 runs. He led the Northwest League with 52 walks and finished in the top three in the league in homers, runs and on-base percentage (.431). Belnome was drafted in the 28th round by the San Diego Padres.

The Illinois State baseball team will hold its annual blood drive in conjunction with the American Red Cross on Friday, Dec. 4, at the Redbird Arena. All blood types are needed.

Georgia State will host its championship dinner on Friday, Dec. 4, at Turner Field. The team members will receive their championship rings for winning the 2009 CAA title, the first conference baseball championship in school history. The Panthers made their first appearance in the NCAA Regionals, posting a 39-22 record.

The Alabama baseball team hosted a Christmas party on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the Sprayberry Education Center in Tuscaloosa. Srpayberry is the special education facility for the Tuscaloosa County School System. More than 100 students, faculty and staff participated in the party. The Crimson Tide provided gifts and snacks for the children. They also sang Christmas carols and helped decorate the school’s tree.

The UT Arlington athletic department collected 2,408 canned foods and perishable items for Mission Arlington. It is the 10th year for the UTA canned food drive with items donated by student-athletes, staff and community members. The softball team led all team with participation percentage and the track and field program led with 839 cans.

LSU head coach Paul Mainieri will serve as “Fire King” for the first Fire & Ice Gala benefiting the Louisiana-Mississippi Chapter of the ALS Association. The gala will be in Baton Rouge on Saturday, Jan. 23, and will be hosted by emcee and live auctioneer Bill Franques, the Voice of Alex Box Stadium.

Former West Virginia first baseman Joe Agreste has signed a free-agent contract with the San Diego Padres. Agreste played for the independent Gateway Grizzlies this past summer, batting .303 with five homers, 33 RBI, 18 doubles and 35 runs.

(photos courtesy of LSU and Alabama Media Relations Office)