Jan. 9, 2011

Lineup Card

Lineup Card is a feature highlighting notes from around college baseball.

January 1-9, 2011

The Metrodome will not be available to Minnesota during February and March. The Golden Gophers must find alternate plans for their games, including the Dairy Queen Classic and Metrodome Tournament. Minnesota will move its three-game series with Cal Poly to San Luis Obispo on March 25-27. The Mustangs will return the series to Minnesota in 2012. click here for full story

Tony Gwynn has completed eight weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer and looks forward to returning to coaching at San Diego State. click here for full San Diego Union Tribune feature

Clemson head coach Jack Leggett (left) was presented the Palmetto Patriot Award by South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer on Saturday evening during halftime of the Clemson basketball game with Miami (Fla.). The award, established by Bauer, recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their fellow citizens and the state of South Carolina. Leggett has 769 victories in 17 seasons with the Tigers. He has guided Clemson to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances and has reached the College World Series six times, including 2010.

The Citadel will receive its 2010 Southern Conference Championship rings on Thursday, Feb. 3, at halftime of the basketball game with Furman. The Bulldogs were 24-6 in league play, winning the SoCon regular season and tournament titles. The Citadel won 43 games, the second-highest total in school history.

Bradley announced that pitcher Joe Bircher, infielders Rob Elliott and Jason Leblebijian and outfielder Mike Tauchman will be captains for the 2011 season. Bircher is 8-7 with a 4.67 ERA in two seasons with the Braves. Elliott has a .286 career batting average in 109 games at Bradley, mostly at third base. Leblebijian hit .323 in 47 games a season ago as the starting shortstop. Tauchman batted .285 with five homers and 10 steals in 51 games in 2010.

Oregon State associate head coach Marty Lees will give a presentation on the fundamentals of infield play on Friday, Jan. 7, at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in Nashville, Tenn. Lees is a regular speaker at camps and clinics. The Beavers finished second in the nation in fielding percentage in 2007 with a mark of .977.

East Carolina will host its 11th annual “Meet the Pirates” luncheon on Saturday, Feb. 5, at 11 a.m. at the Harvey Banquet Hall in the Murphy Center. Fans will have the opportunity to get photos and autographs of the ECU players and sixth-year head coach Billy Godwin. The Pirates will hold an intra-squad scrimmage at Clark-LeClair Stadium following lunch. Season tickets are also currently on sale for the 34-game home slate, including series with Pepperdine, Rice, UCF and Southern Miss.

The Delaware baseball team assisted the Newark County Welfare Committee with its annual Christmas Basket Program in December. In conjunction with the Delaware School for the Deaf, several players and assistant coach Mike Ranson packed, loaded and distributed 336 food baskets.

Andy Phillips has returned to Alabama as an assistant coach, serving as hitting and infield coach. The native of Demopolis, Ala., was a four-year letter-winner (1996-99) and All-American for the Crimson Tide and played six seasons in the Major Leagues with the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds. Phillips played for the past two years in the Nippon Professional League in Japan.

Former Kansas infielder Robby Price was named a finalist for the Erik Walker Community Champions Award by the Tampa Bay Rays organization. The annual award goes to a Rays minor league player who exemplifies teamwork, sportsmanship and community involvement. The Rays honor each finalist by donating $500 in his name to the charity of his choice. Price chose the Brock Wilkerson Memorial Cancer Research Fund.

North Carolina sophomore outfielder Brian Goodwin will transfer to Miami-Dade College for the 2011 season. He batted .291 for the Tar Heels a season ago in 60 games and was a Freshman All-American. Goodwin was suspended by UNC for the 2011 spring semester for violating University policy.

Former major league catcher Mike Matheny will be the keynote speaker at Illinois’ Hot Stove Banquet on Saturday, Feb. 5, at the I Hotel. Cocktails will be at 5 p.m., followed by the banquet at 6 p.m. A four-time Gold Glove winner, Matheny spent 13 seasons in the Major Leagues, playing for St. Louis, Milwaukee, San Francisco and Toronto. He helped the Cardinals win the 2004 World Series. Matheny played collegiate baseball at Michigan, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors in 1990.

Season tickets are now on sale at TCU. Stadium renovations will add 1,000 seats in the upper deck. The Horned Frogs will have 33 home games, including a series with Cal State Fullerton and a contest against Oklahoma.

Bowling Green named seniors Clay Duncan and Frank Berry and junior Jon Berti as captains for the 2011 season. Berry, a captain in 2010, has battled arm injuries the past two seasons and will move from the mound to third base. Duncan became the starter at first base late last season and led the Falcons with a fielding percentage of .994. Berti batted .423 a season ago with 93 hits, both school records. He was First Team All-MAC and First Team All-Mideast Region.

(photo courtesy of Clemson Media Relations Office)