How about them Baseball Bearcats!

[ralph1950]

They set the school record for wins in a season and have an excellent chance of making the first Bearcat Baseball NCAA tourney appearance since 1974. Hats off to the team.

[Bearcat Otto]

They play WVU later today.

It was supposed to start a 5:00 but rain has delayed the early games.

You can watch on BigEasttv.com. The whole tournament is $12.95. Just go to the Big East Baseball web site for the link.

An added plus...Villanova is beating St. Johns but is only the 4th inning.

[Bearcat Otto]

10-0 Villanova after 6 full.

If St. Johns does not score in the 7th they will lose because of the 10 run rule.

Hold em Nova!

[Bearcat Otto]

12-0 final.

St Johns to the losers bracket.

[shaunsimpson]

Big start for the cats going up against WVU's flamethrower (who they beat the **** out of last week). UC scored 3 in the first and 4 in the 2nd. 7-1 going into the bottom of the 3rd.

http://www.bigeast.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19400&ATCLID=1387875

Go to live stats and it will give you a gamecast.

[shaunsimpson]

It has been 9-4 going into the bottom of the 5th for a long time now. Either there is another rain delay or the website is down.

[Bearcat Otto]

11-5 after 7 innings

GO CATS

[shaunsimpson]

through 7 1/2 innings. 3 more outs. Wonder if they keep Osterbrock in? A win tomorrow would be big since they would get Thursday off and would have to be beat twice.(assuming they pull this one off).

[Justin Register]

Man I love beating WVU! 11-5, and they get #6 USF today.

2B Josh Harris was named Big East Co-Player of the year, and 6 total made All Big East teams. Congrats to them!

[Bearcat Otto]

48 runs in their last four games.

Keep the offense going!

[Lobot]

Coach Cleary might make the Catapult window a little early. I would love to see that.

[shaunsimpson]

St Johns (up 4-1 after 6) gave up 9 runs in the 7th and 2 in the 8th. The no. 1 seed and probable only at large big is out of the BEast tourny in two games with two losses. Louisville can't be unhappy with this. 8 seed and 5 seed still alive with the 4 seed (and bubble team) Louisville.

UC will play the 6 seed USF Bulls today after they beat ND yesterday. ND is about ready to play WVU in the losers bracket in the top half right now (it may have already started).

[London 'Cat]

They have advanced to the semifinals after an 11-1 victory over the Bulls.

http://www.bigeast.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19400&ATCLID=1473369

[nachoman91]

So the #1 seed and #3 seeded teams have already been eliminated. This leaves the CATS in the drivers seat.

[shaunsimpson]

Louisville is very tough and made it to the CWS. I think it is win or go home now that St Johns is out of it. There will be no at large bid for Cincinnati or Louisville. St Johns will get the at large and there will be the conference champion - keep in mind that the Big East is week in baseball and has no top 25 teams so three teams from the conference is going to be tough to get in - although it could happen with Louisville at 40 wins, I just don't see it.

Nice run rule by the cats. The hitting was even better than the 11 runs. Relievers have only thrown one inning and the staff is fresh. It will be interesting to see who gets the start tomorrow.

FYI - either south florida or WVU will have to beat Cincinnati twice to get into the finals. The finals is a one game championship to go to the CWS regionals.

[Bearcat Otto]

Three teams from the Big East went last year and if those teams records are very similar to this years records.

[shaunsimpson]

Yes, but this year has Louisville at 58 RPI and Cincinnati at 79. Louisville could get in as the 3rd team with the conference championship going to the Cats, but Cincinnati does not have one signature victory over a top 25 team. That is going to hurt. Hope I am wrong, but I think it is conference championship or nothing for the cats.

The Big East has only sent 3 teams to the tournament 4 times ever. All three teams last year had 40 wins which seems to be the magic number.

[Bearcat Otto]

I have heard about that magical 40 number. But, I think that UC's record over that last 20 games might overcome the first several.

I also know that we have not had any top 25 wins but we played the #1 team in the country, Miami, strong for three games and had a winnable game with #20 KY.

I am going with we are in if we lose the final game.

[shaunsimpson]

I hope you are right and I hope it doesn't even matter.

[shaunsimpson]

4-1 in the top of the 3rd. 3 runs in the third all with 2 outs started by Mike Spina's record tying HR and then a walk, a single and a 2 run scoring double. Brian Garman started out the game decent with 1 run in 2 innings with 1 hit given up (yes, it was a HR). So good hitting so far and one bad pitch. 4-1 going into the bottom of the 3rd.

Also,
- Louisville won today putting them in the finals. UC won 1 of 3 earlier this year vs louisville, but Osterbrock will be pitching if the cats can finish off USF in this game (or the next game IMO)
- I have no idea why the Cats are the visiting team for the 2nd game in a row when they are the 2 seed and they have been the highest seed in each game.
- I was wrong earlier when I said the game is in Tampa. It is an hour away, but you would still have to consider USF as getting the home field advantage.
- Who would have guessed the baseball team would have the best finish of all of the non-olympic sports.

[shaunsimpson]

Top 7. 5-1 Cats. Garmen is pitching very well.

[Lobot]

We're in the finals after a 13-2 win over USF. UC vs UL Game will be shown on ESPNU.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080523/SPT0101/305230085