Sports Page Atlanta

The Atlanta Hawks don’t have any picks in this year’s draft (unless a trade happens) so times are a little slow with Atlanta’s only playoff team.

They did make some moves with their assistant coaches, though.  Out is David Fizdale and scout Harold Ellis and staying put is Larry Drew and Bob Bender.

Now the Hawks must focus on what they will do with Josh Smith and Josh Childress.

For all the good that the Georgia Bulldogs started with early in the game yesterday it became really really bad.  Georgia got destroyed 19-10 by Fresno State in game 2.  It was the most runs they allowed all season.

The pitching staff pitched terribly giving away too many big hits and walks.

Tonight Georgia will go with Nathan Moreau, who has been a hit or miss pitcher the last few outings.  He might be asked to just go a few innings tonight.  After Moreau, Georgia will probably also go with Dean Weaver, Alex McRee and Joshua Fields.  Fields might go more than normal, maybe 2 innings, maybe more.

Fresno State should go with a lefty named Justin Wilson (not the cajun cook).  Wilson is their workhorse.  He has thrown 116 innings this year.  He last pitched on Saturday when North Carolina defeated Fresno State and threw 5 1/3 innings allowed 2 earned runs.  He struck out 6, but he also walked 6.  He record is 8-5 with a 4.34 era and he also gives up a lot of hits and walks.  So Georgia needs to take advantage of that.

Well last night’s Georgia game seemed to go on and on.  Fresno State just pounded the ball en route to a 19-10 win.  Those 29 runs were a lot, but they wouldn’t have been the most on a deciding NCAA Championship game in College World Series history (only for the last few years they have been playing the best 2-of-3 in the finals).

Here are the highest scoring final games in College World Series history…

35 total runs in 1998: Southern Cal defeats Arizona State 21-14

19 total runs in 1997: LSU defeats Alabama 13-6

18 total runs in 1994: Oklahoma defeats Georgia Tech 13-5

18 total runs in 2002: Texas defeats South Carolina 12-6

When Georgia defeated Oklahoma State back in 1990, it was one of the lowest scoring finals when they won 2-1.  (there were two 1-0 games earlier in CWS history). 

Georgia came back down 3 in the 8th inning to pull ahead of Fresno State to win game one last night by the score of 7 to 6 and they can win it all with a win tonight.

Joey Lewis came through again in Omaha by getting a rbi single to score Matt Cerione with the go-ahead run.  Cerione who went 0-for-5 with 5 strikeouts in his last game, shook it off by twice getting game-tying hits.

Gordon Beckham was the other big offensive star by clubbing his 27th home run of the season which was also his 52nd of his career (a new Georgia record).

Trevor Holder for the most part pitched well (except for a few long balls).  Alex McRee struggled for the first time in a long time and Justin Earls allowed a hit to the only batter he faced.  Will Harvill did the job and closed the 8th and then Joshua Fields came through and retired the side in the 9th to save his 18th game of the season.

The Fresno State Bulldogs threw 5 pithers last night.  Justin Miller who I thought was going to pitch yesterday did not and will most likely pitch tonight (but then again I could be wrong).

Nick Montgomery will take the mound for Georgia and this would be a nice way for him to end his career with the Bulldogs.

Gordon Beckham just hit his 27th home run of the season last night… but bigger news statistically is that he hit his 52nd career home run and if you remembered from my stat of the day a few days ago, that breaks the school record once held by Josh Morris.

The 27 home runs is also a single-season record.

With that 2-run home run, Beckham has 74 rbi this season, which ties the season record which is also held by J.R. Showalter in 1990.  Ironically he was the shortstop the last time Georgia won the NCAA title.

I don’t think he has a chance to get the other triple crown single season category.

Charley Trippi holds the single-season record for the highest batting average in a single season with qualified at-bats.  He hit an incredible .464 in 1946.  If Beckham goes 30-for-30 tonight, his average would climb to .465 (I don’t think that is going to happen).

Former Peach County quarterback Antonio Henton has transferred from Ohio State and now will play football for Georgia Southern.  Since he went from Football Bowl Subdivision to Football Championship Subdivision (Division I to Division II) he will not need to sit a season and play right away.

He played in 4 games last season with the Buckeyes and had some off the field issues that led to a suspension.

His coach at Peach County, Rance Gillespie is now the offensive coordinator at Georgia Southern.

The Eagles first game is against in-state foe Georgia on August 30th in Athens.

The Georgia Bulldogs will continue their quest tonight for their 2nd NCAA title in baseball.  The best 2-of-3 series with Fresno State will start at 7:00 pm et.

Trevor Holder will start for Georgia.  He was a little shaky a week ago when he faced Miami, but should be fine tonight.  On the mound for the other Bulldogs should be Justin Miller.  Miller is a big right-hander who is 6-4 this season. 

My key for Georgia is to go after him early.  Fresno State’s bullpen is not well rested so if Georgia keeps the pressure on Miller, they should score and score big.   Some stats in Georgia’s favor is that Miller leads the Fresno State in home runs allowed.  He also leads the team in wild pitches and hit batters (so look out).

Another key is that Georgia should not take this team lightly.  They are the ‘easiest’ team that they faced in Omaha, but they are no pushovers.  They have defeated 8 Top-20 teams in the postseason and can do more.   They have great defense and Alan Ahmady and Tommy Mendonca are very very good.

Mark Teixeira hit 3 home runs yesterday in a win against the Seattle Mariners.  That was his 2nd time he has hit 3 in one game.  The other time was on July 13, 2006 when he was with the Texas Rangers.

The Atlanta Braves have had their share of players to hit 3 in one game.  Here they are…

Gene Oliver - 1966

Bob Tillman - 1969

Rico Carty - 1970

Mike Lum - 1970

Orlando Cepeda - 1970

Dale Murphy - 1979

Bob Horner - 1986 (actually hit 4 in this game)

Ken Griffey, Sr. - 1986

Jeff Treadway - 1990

Jeff Blauser - 1992

Andruw Jones - 2002

Chipper Jones - 2006

Mark Teixeira - 2008

Mark Teixeira went deep three times, and the Braves got 7 strong innings from starter Tim Hudson, to beat the Mariners on Sunday.  With the win, the Braves take the series from the Mariners, after dropping the first game Friday night.

Teixeira had solo shots in the 2nd and the 4th, and added a two-run shot in the 7th.  It was the second three-home run game of his career, his first coming in 2006 as a member of the Texas Rangers in his hometown of Baltimore.

Tim Hudson scattered four hits, walked four, and struck out two over his 7 innings to earn the win.

The Braves continue the home-stand tomorrow, as the Brewers come to town for a three-game set.  Jo-Jo Reyes takes the hill for the home team, looking to continue his solid work, facing Brewers ace Ben Sheets.

Former Georgia Tech golfer Stewart Cink did it.  After several top-10 finishes this season including 2 runner-ups, Cink put it together and won.  It was the 2nd time he has won The Travelers Championship (although it was called Canon Greater Hartford Open back in 1997).

Cink has 5 career PGA Tour wins…

1997 - Canon Greater Hartford Open

2000 - MCI Classic

2004 - MCI Heritage

2004 - WGC NEC Invitational

2008 - Travelers Championship

He also 3rd on the PGA money list right now behind two no-name guys named Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson (I hear, Tiger might miss the rest of the season… I think it has been on the news once or twice this week).