Notes From The Coast: West Shut Out Of College World Series

Image credit: (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

When Michigan upset No. 1 overall seed UCLA and No. 6 Mississippi State beat No. 11 Stanford in the NCAA Tournament’s super regionals, it secured a historical anomaly.

For the first time in 23 years—and just the second time in NCAA baseball history—the West will not be represented at the College World Series.

The College World Series had featured at least one team from either the Pacific or Mountain time zones every year since 1996. Since the first College World Series in 1947, at least one team from the West had made it in 71 of 72 seasons.

Now, 2019 joins 1996 as the only years in which no team from the West made it to the CWS. UCLA was the No. 1 overall seed but was eliminated at home by Michigan. Stanford dropped both of its first two games at Mississippi State to be quickly eliminated.

Not only is it unusual to not have a team from the West make it to Omaha, but there are normally at least two.

Since the inaugural College World Series, at least two teams from the Pacific or Mountain Time zones had made it in 65 of 72 seasons entering this year. That included the last three seasons and 13 of the last 16.

Cody Bellinger, Mike Trout Lead All-Star Voting

Cody Bellinger and Mike Trout lead their respective leagues in All-Star voting through the first ballot updates.

Bellinger leads the National League, and all players, with 1,189,380 votes. The Dodgers outfielder leads the majors with a .352 batting average, is second with a 1.123 OPS, tied for fourth with 20 home runs and tied for fifth with 54 RBIs. He is followed by Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (1,057,855) and Cubs shortstop Javier Baez (861,946) in National League voting.

Trout leads the American League with 951,002 votes, more than 150,000 votes ahead of Astros outfielder George Springer (776,352) and Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (737,107). The Angels center fielder leads the AL with a 1.081 OPS, tied for second with 51 runs scored, is third with a .621 slugging percentage and tied for fourth with 18 home runs. Trout is the only player to finish in the top three in his league in All-Star voting each of the last five years, but he’s never led the league.

Jesus Luzardo, A.J. Puk Return For A’s

The Athletics saw their top two prospects return from injury Tuesday night.

A’s No. 2 prospect A.J. Puk, out since April 2018 following Tommy John surgery, started on the mound for high Class A Stockton and pitched two innings with one hit and one earned run allowed, one walk and four strikeouts. He reportedly touched 97 mph with his fastball and 90 mph with his slider.

A’s No. 1 prospect Jesus Luzardo, out since spring training with a rotator cuff strain, followed Puk out of the bullpen and pitched three scoreless innings with two hits allowed and two strikeouts.

Luzardo and Puk are the latest A’s pitching prospects to return from injury this year.

James Kaprielian has made four abbreviated starts without issue for Stockton after missing the last two seasons with an assortment of injuries, including an elbow ligament strain that resulted in Tommy John surgery. He is 1-1, 4.50 with 15 strikeouts and three walks in 14 innings pitched.

Daulton Jefferies, who had Tommy John surgery in 2017 and had pitched just 20.1 innings in three professional seasons entering this year, was promoted from Stockton to Double-A Midland in April and is 1-1, 2.50 with 45 strikeouts against just two walks in 39.2 innings.

Grant Holmes, who made only two starts last year due to a rotator cuff injury, is 1-1, 3.48 in seven appearances (four starts) for Midland.

North Wins CBCA Showcase

The annual California Baseball Coaches Association North-South Showcase took place at Santa Clara last weekend. The showcase pits the best up-and-coming high school prospects from Southern California against their Northern California counterparts for a three-game series.

The North won this year’s series two games to one, capped by a 3-0 victory in the decisive Game 3. 

Clovis (Calif.) High righthander/first baseman Noah Beal (class of 2020) was named the series’ Most Outstanding Player. The 6-foot-4 Nevada-Las Vegas commit pitched three scoreless innings and went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk in the decisive final game. He went 3-for-3 with two RBIs in Game 2 to keep the North alive after it had dropped the opening contest.

Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.) infielder Zach Rodriguez (2020) was named the South’s best hitter and Madison (San Diego, Calif.) righthander Christian Becerra (2021) won South’s best pitcher. Rio Americano (Sacramento, Calif.) first baseman Will Linberg (2021) was named the North’s best hitter and Woodland (Calif.) righthander Adam Walker (2020) won North’s best pitcher.

West Teams In The College World Series

Bold = Champion

2019 – None

2018 – Oregon State, Washington

2017 – Oregon State, Cal State Fullerton

2016 – Arizona, UC Santa Barbara

2015 – Cal State Fullerton

2014 – UC Irvine

2013 – Oregon State, UCLA

2012 – Arizona, UCLA

2011 – Cal

2010 – Arizona State, UCLA

2009 – Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton

2008 – Fresno State, Stanford

2007 – Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, Oregon State

2006 – Cal State Fullerton, Oregon State

2005 – Arizona State, Oregon State

2004 – Arizona, Cal State Fullerton

2003 – Cal State Fullerton, Stanford

2002 – Stanford

2001 – Cal State Fullerton, Southern California, Stanford

2000 – San Jose State, Southern California, Stanford

1999 – Cal State Fullerton, Stanford

1998 – Arizona State, Long Beach State, Southern California

1997 – Stanford, UCLA

1996 – None

1995 – Cal State Fullerton, Southern California, Stanford

1994 – Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton

1993 – Arizona State, Long Beach State

1992 – Cal, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine

1991 – Fresno State, Long Beach State

1990 – Cal State Fullerton, Stanford

1989 – Long Beach State

1988 – Arizona State, Cal, Cal State Fullerton, Fresno State, Stanford

1987 – Arizona State, Stanford

1986 – Arizona, Loyola Marymount

1985 – Arizona, Stanford

1984 – Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton

1983 – Arizona State, Stanford

1982 – Cal State Fullerton, Stanford

1981 – Arizona State

1980 – Arizona, Cal, Hawaii

1979 – Arizona, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine

1978 – Arizona State, Southern California

1977 – Arizona State, Cal State Los Angeles

1976 – Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State

1975 – Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton

1974 – Northern Colorado, Southern California

1973 – Arizona State, Southern California

1972 – Arizona State, Southern California

1971 – Brigham Young, Southern California

1970 – Arizona, Southern California

1969 – Arizona State, UCLA

1968 – Brigham Young, Southern California

1967 – Arizona State, Stanford

1966 – Arizona, Southern California

1965 – Arizona State, Washington State

1964 – Arizona State, Southern California

1963 – Arizona, Southern California

1962 – Colorado State, Santa Clara

1961 – Colorado State, Southern California

1960 – Arizona, Colorado State, Southern California

1959 – Arizona, Colorado State, Fresno State

1958 – Arizona, Colorado State, Southern California

1957 – Cal, Colorado State

1956 – Arizona, Washington State, Wyoming

1955 – Arizona, Colorado State, Southern California

1954 – Arizona, Oregon

1953 – Colorado State, Stanford

1952 – Colorado State, Oregon State

1951 – Southern California, Utah

1950 – Colorado A&M, Washington State

1949 – Colorado State, Southern California

1948 – Colorado State, Southern California

1947 – Cal, Denver