Ah, the crack of an alloy and the smell of Diamond Dry, it must be time for college baseball. We offer info in two formats, the highly suspect notes on our napkin and then the more officious mutterings of the college baseball SIDs.

First our semi exclusive report on Coach Troy Buckley’s visit to the dinosaurs of the Century Club Tuesday night, at McKenna’s …

Buck made the trek to Alamitos Bay for a visit with the Centurions. They had the usual assortment of on and off the wall questions.

What’s up with the Field and stadium improvements?

We are looking at some innovative public-private funding partnerships so we are still working on it. And no we are not looking at moving the fences in, but if we could get that practice infield built, maybe……

How can you recruit hitters to Blair?

Well, l we tell them that we still play half our games on the road!! Actually if they can drive the ball to the gaps that is what a lot of pro scouts are looking for. We just need to do what we can do, pay good defense, move the runners, run the bases, sort of our tribute to Snow ball

Buck, you were a catcher in college, is that why you have three guys in that position now?

Well we have at least two but there will be times when any of those guys will be in. Translated, Buck likes the defense of skinny guy junior Royce Murai (.109) returns with two years of experience but expect Eric Hutting, a much better hitter, to start/ He is a freshman from Tesoro whose older brother Tim was a Dirtbag. And then there is Zach Miller who has qualities of both guys.

Got a secret weapon Coach?

Same as last year…he doesn’t look like much but Ino Patron is always ready and just loves the game. I would like to say Richard Prigatano but we are still waiting for his emergence. Ino will show up at first base and DH.

Thanks coach, I know it’s early but was does the rotation look like this weekend?

Well eventually I see Jon Maciel as our set up guy but he’s the starter on Friday with out newcomer Carle (Shane Carle, a 6-4, 185-pound right-handed transfer from Cabrillo College) is slotted second, and left-hander Landon Hunt (Shane Carle, a 6-4, 185-pound right-handed transfer from Cabrillo College, is slotted second, and left-hander Landon Hunt, (only 8 2/3 innings last season in 18 appearances as a lefty-on-lefty specialist) does the Sunday shift.

The starters list looks like this—

Friday, LHP Kevin Ziomek (0-0, -.–) vs. RHP Jon Maciel (0-0, -.–)

Saturday, February 16 RHP Tyler Beede (0-0, -.–) vs. RHP Shane Carle (0-0, -.–)

Sunday, February 17 RHP T.J. Pecoraro (0-0, -.–) vs. LHP Landon Hunt (0-0, -.–)

And now LBSU’s Roger Kirk’s fine press packet on the season opening series at SEC toughie Vanderbilt, with some notes from the host team SID, Kyle Parkinson, mixed in.

Vanderbilt endured a tough start to the 2012 season winning one game in February (1-7) and ultimately starting 7-10 before beginning play in the rugged Southeastern Conference. The Commodores did not see their record level off to .500 until a midweek win over Louisville on May 8. Despite the slow start to the season the Dores finished the season as one of the hottest teams in the nation finishing the regular season with four straight SEC series victories, including wins over ranked opponents Kentucky, LSU and Ole Miss. The team pushed its way back into the SEC Tournament Championship Game for the sixth time in nine trips under Head Coach Tim Corbin with wins over South Carolina and Florida before a loss to Mississippi State. The Commodores were sent to the Raleigh Regional for the NCAA Tournament, where the team topped UNC-Wilmington in the opener and stunned host NC State in the second game. Vanderbilt’s season came to an end with back-to-back tough losses to the Wolfpack to finish the 2012 campaign 35-28.

The Vanderbilt roster boasts an astonishing 18 players that have been drafted prior to this season. The Commodores’ 18 players are the most on any collegiate roster in the country. Senior Mike Yastrzemski is the only Dore to have been drafted twice, turning down Boston out of high school and Seattle last summer. Of the Commodores’ 11-man recruiting class, seven were selected in last summer’s major league baseball draft. Baseball America’s list of the top 50 players from each class is littered with Commodores with nine total. Pitchers Walker Buehler (No. 1) and Carson Fulmer (No. 6) along with infielder Dansby Swanson (No. 28) and outfielder Rhett Wiseman (No. 30) are featured in the freshman class. Right-hander Tyler Beede is the second-rated sophomore. Lefty Kevin Ziomek (No. 18) and infielder Conrad Gregor (No. 41) are among the top 50 juniors. Senior outfielders Connor Harrell (No. 25) and Mike Yastrzemski (No. 27) are two of the top seniors in the nation. Since Coach Corbin’s arrival in 2003, the Commodores are 6-4 in lid lifters, including 3-0 in season openers at Hawkins Field.

Four Commodores earned preseason All-American recognition with juniors Conrad Gregor, Spencer Navin, Tony Kemp and Kevin Ziomek getting the nod. All four players were recognized by Baseball America to help lead the Commodores to the most All-Americans on the publication’s list. Gregor was also named a preseason All-American by Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball. Navin and Kemp were each tabbed All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball as well. Even more scary, Vanderbilt became the first-ever school to land consecutive, top-ranked recruiting classes when Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball tabbed the Dores’ freshman class No. 1.In the 13 years of the Baseball America recruiting class poll, no school had ever achieved back-to-back No. 1 recruiting classes and only Arizona State (2000, 2008) has two top classes. Vanderbilt now has three in the history of the poll with the best class in 2005, 2011 and 2012.

The coaches of the Southeastern Conference voted the Commodores as the team to beat in the SEC East division. Arkansas was picked to win the West and the overall league title. The Dores were selected to finish in front of (in order) Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri. In the West, the Razorbacks were picked ahead of (in order) LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama and Auburn.

Long Beach State has a strong core of position players returning, as seven of the ten that had over 50 at-bats in 2012 are on the roster for 2013. That group combined for a .274 batting average a year ago, started a combined 289 games. Juan Avila tied for the team lead in hits, and was second in RBI and doubles, while Ino Patron and Jeff McNeil each played in all 55 games for the Dirtbags last season. Patron was second on the team with a .379 OBP, and both players walked more than they struck out a season ago. Junior Jeff Yamaguchi added 27 starts, while the Dirtbags bring back two sophomores who started over 15 games in Josh Guerra and Richard Prigatano. Guerra hit .313 with 10 RBI in Big West play, while Prigatano hit .278 with five doubles and a home run.

In addition to the season opener against No. 2 Vanderbilt, the Dirtbags have again put together a tremendous schedule for the 2013 season. Long Beach State opens its home schedule by hosting the defending champions, No. 10 Arizona, and 11 out of the 21 teams on the schedule received votes in at least one poll entering the year. The Dirtbags will also host Valparaiso and Seattle in weekend series before resuming two traditional series in Blair Field against Wichita State and a non-conference meeting with Cal State Fullerton. The Dirtbags also have a trip to No. 16 Arizona State on the schedule, and weekday contests with LMU, UCLA, USC, San Diego State, and Pepperdine. Finally, Long Beach State will host Cal State Northridge, UC Davis, Cal Poly, UC Riverside, and first-year member Hawai’i in Big West play. Long Beach State enters the 2013 after two full seasons under Troy Buckley. After year one, the Dirtbags lowered their team ERA from 4.67 to 3.55, and that trend continued again in 2012, as Long Beach State posted the 17th-lowest ERA in the nation at 3.08. Long Beach State has been forced to turn over the whole rotation, but the last time that happened under Troy Buckley (as pitching coach), Jered Weaver, Cesar Ramos, and Jason Vargas were all drafted in 2004, and the 2005 Dirtbags led the nation with a 2.53 team ERA.

Leftovers at Deadline–Who would have thunk that when Mike Gillespie left USC it would start a revolving door of coaches. Frank Cruz who replaced Chad Kreuter, (fired by Haden in 2010) is now out. Cruz had a 48-63 overall record the past two seasons. The new guy is ex Trojan pitcher Dan Hubbs. The AD, football minded Pat Hayden, said, “I’m confident that Dan and his staff will lead our team to a successful season,” Haden said. “He is a good coach, he is highly-regarded in the baseball community and he has strong Trojan roots.”

They got Cruz for violating NCAA rules for the number of hours players are allowed to practice directed by or supervised by the coaching staff. Hubbs, a former USC All-American pitcher, was named coach and Hayden, who has now fired a basketball and baseball coach, will not comment on his football coach.

“Adhering to all NCAA rules is paramount for each one of our coaches, student-athletes and staff members,” athletic director Haden said in a statement. “Those who knowingly break NCAA rules are subject to termination.” USC announced a self-imposed reduction in practice hours for the next two seasons.

On the big money hoops front, those black tee shirts drew an almost full house to the Mid Wednesday and the win was by a comfortable 20 points. Even the lady Niners beat Fullerton, hanging on by two points for the second road win of the year. Both basketeers play Riverside on Saturday, men at home and ladies on the road. On the little money tennis and volleyball fronts the battles rage on. Details on Monday.—DR. DAN