#1 Cumberland has started the season 0-7. They had a midweek loss at #23 Tennessee Wesleyan, 13-7, then got swept at home by #9 Missouri Baptist, 5-3 (10 innings), 13-5, and 7-3. 3B Ridge Hoopi-Haslam was the star for Tennessee Wesleyan; he went 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, four RBI, and three runs scored. In the first game against Missouri Baptist, Bulldogs starter Jake Collier had a shoutout going into the ninth inning, but gave up a two-run home run by pinch-hitter Timothy Cusick to send it into extra innings. RF Eli Roundtree hit an RBI single in the top of the tenth for the winning run. Story The defending champions led the second game 5-0 after three innings, but the Spartans put it away with a five-run sixth inning, led by a two-RBI single by 2B Aaron Collazo. Randy Wynne got the win in relief for the Spartans; he allowed only one hit over the final 5 1/3 innings, struck out five. The winning run in the third game game on a two-RBI double by SS Brent Zimmerman in the fourth inning. The Bulldogs visit Bethel Feb. 17, and host Judson Feb. 21-22 (video).

Missouri Baptist is now 9-0. The Spartans host the Clayton Pfeiffer Invitational Tournament Feb. 20-21, with Saint Francis (IN) and non-NAIA Morthland.

#2 Lewis-Clark State went 5-2 on their California tour, with wins over San Diego Christian, 9-4 and 7-6, #18 Concordia-Irvine 7-3, Cal State San Marcos 8-3, and non-NAIA Bethesda 7-5. They lost to Cal State San Marcos 10-3, and Concordia-Irvine 4-3. In the first game against San Diego Christian, the Warriors were held to one run over the first seven innings by Anthony Carrizosa, but erupted for seven runs in the top of the ninth off three different Hawks relievers. The Hawks had only five hits. Starter Ty Jackson went five innings, allowed three runs on two hits, struck out seven, got a no-decision. Nick Sagendorf got the win, pitched the final two innings, struck out four of the six batters he faced. The Warriors had a 6-0 lead in the second game after four innings, but the Hawks answered with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Warriors got the winning run in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by C Julian Ramon. The Hawks made it a one-run game when 1B Luke Bando reached on an error, allowing pinch-runner Gordy Smith to score. However, they left the tying run on third, and the winning run on first. Story SS Max Whitt his a grand slam home run in the win over Concordia, and 1B Seth Brown also hit a home run. Beau Kerns pitched a complete nine-inning game in the win over Cal State San Marcos, and 3B Michael Sexton went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and two RBI. 3B Robert Smith Jr. went 4-for-4 with a three-run home run and five RBI against Bethesda, and his two-RBI single in the top of the ninth provided the winning run.

Starter Addison Domingo got the win for Cal State San Marcos. He held the Warriors to one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings, struck out seven. DH L.A. Gamo batted in five of the Cougars' runs, went 2-for-3 and drew two walks. In the loss to Concordia, the Warriors out-hit the Eagles 10-4, but the Eagles got two runs on a home run by DH Dane Vande Guchte, and runs on an RBI single by CF Mitchell Esser and a sacrifice fly by C Neil Lawhorn. Starter Robbie Ingram got the win, allowed one earned run over seven innings.

#1 Cumberland started the season with three losses in a tournament at Belhaven: 11-2 to #9 Missouri Baptist, 7-6 to Culver-Stockton, and 7-6 to #14 Belhaven. The Spartans led the first game all the way; the Bulldogs didn't get on the board until the seventh inning. David Mullins got the win, pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowed one run on five hits, struck out seven. C Jake Hillier hit a line drive for a sacrifice fly to score the winning run for the Wildcats in the second game. Ian Miller, who allowed only one hit over the final three innings, and recorded four strikeouts, got the win. In the third game, the Bulldogs left 11 men on base, and had the tying run on third when the game ended. The winning run scored when RF Joey Harris was hit by a pitch. Harris went 2-for-3, had two RBI and a run scored. The Bulldogs visit #23 Tennessee Wesleyan on Feb. 11, then have their home opener against Missouri Baptist Feb. 13-14.

Missouri Baptist is now 6-0. After the win over Cumberland, the Spartans defeated Belhaven 13-8 amd Culver-Stockton 10-5. LF Orlando Olivera went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, five RBI and three runs scored against Belhaven. Olivera got two more RBI against Culver-Stockton, and RF Eli Roundtree went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.

#2 Lewis-Clark State went to a tournament in Nampa and Caldwell, ID, and dropped their opener to Concordia-Portland 13-6, but they won the next three games: 5-4 over Division II Northwest Nazarene, 21-2 over #24 British Columbia, and 8-0 over C. of Idaho. Concordia broke open a close game by scoring seven runs in the bottom fo the seventh, led by a two-RBI double by C Nate Esposito. RHP Brad Bearden pitched the final 3 2/3 innings for the Cavaliers, allowed no runs on two hits. The Warriors scored two runs in the top of the ninth, on a two-RBI single by 1B Seth Brown, to take a 5-3 lead against Northwest Nazarene. The Crusaders made it 5-4 on an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth, but the game ended with 2B/3B Tyler Davis being tagged out five feet short of home plate by RHP Joe Mello. SS Max Whitt hit two home runs, one of them a grand slam, against British Columbia. RHP Beau Kerns pitched a three-hit shutout against C. of Idaho, struck out seven. Brown went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.

A 6-0 win over San Diego Christian. He threw 97 pitches. His brother Steve scored the winning run. Story from GSAC site: Jason Karkenny is Pitcher Perfect!

Both Concordia-Irvine and The Master's swept, and Concordia has a one-game lead over The Master's, Vanguard, and Westmont in the Golden State Athletic Conference. Concordia defeated Arizona Christian 9-7, 4-3 (11 innings), and 11-5. The Firestorm led the first game 7-2 with a grand slam home run by DH Cody Rose in the top of the fifth, but the Eagles answered with six runs in the bottom of the fifth, and tied it with a two-run home run by C Neil Lawhorn. The Eagles leaded the bases again, and the winning run was walked in. Isaiah Terrazas got the win in relief. The second game was close all the way. Lawhorn drew a walk with two out in the bottom of the 11^th, and was replaced by courtesy runner Ryan Land, who stole second, went to third on a throwing error, then scored on a passed ball. Starter Colin Orellana went 7 1/3 innings, allowed three runs on for hits. Nick Boyett got the win. The winning run in the third game came on a two-RBI double by RF Robert Shiroky. He got two more RBI with a triple earlier in the game, and had five RBI total. Starter Dillon Moran got the win. The Eagles also got a mid-week non-conference three-hit shutout over Bethesda, 6-0. Robbie Ingram went seven innings, allowed two hits, and RF Robert Shiroky and SS Spencer Nielsen hit home runs. The Eagles visit Biola Feb. 6-7, and La Sierra Feb. 8.

#5 Faulkner opened their season with two wins over LSU-Alexandria, 7-4 and 9-4, and another win over Northwood (FL), 4-2. 1B Jackson Webb hit a three-run home run in the first game; Victor Arche got the win. RF Nick Cain hit a two-run home run in the second game, and SS Edgar Figueroa hit a solo home run, had three RBI. C Cody Sos hit a home run for the winning run in the third game; starter Philip Anderson pitched six scoreless innings, allowed seven hits, struck out six. The Eagles host #8 Georgetown C. Feb. 6-7. Video

#6 Georgia Gwinnett won two of three against Blue Mountain, 19-7, 4-6, and 13-3. 3B Arsenio Watlington, of Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands and a transfer from Clarke, went 4-for-5 with a double and seven RBI in his debut with the Grizzlies; he reached base on every turn at bat. He also drew a walk and got hit by a pitch. Story RHP Jose Delmar of Maracaibo, Venezuela got the win in relief for the Toppers in the second game; he pitched the final 4 2/3 innings, allowed no runs on two hits, struck out six. Watlington went 4-for-6 with a double and two RBI in the third game. Sheldon Connor, who allowed no earned runs on six hits and struck out six, got the win. Story The Grizzlies host Talladega Feb. 6-7 (video).

#9 Missouri Baptist swept William Carey, 3-2 (9 innings, scheduled for 7), 9-1, and 11-8. CF Brian Poupore drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth for the winning run in the first game, and Marcus Crescentini struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth for the save. Brandon Zywicki got the win in the second game, pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowed four hits, struck out six. Story 1B Aaron Pangilian went 3-for-6 with five RBI in the third game. The Spartans will play in a tournament at Belhaven against #1 Cumberland, #12 Belhaven, and Culver-Stockton Feb. 5-7. Cumberland plays Culver-Stockton on the 6^th, and Belhaven on the 7^th. (video).

#2 Lewis-Clark State opens their season in a tournament at Concordia-Portland Feb. 6-8. Updated Feb. 5: The entire tournament was moved to Caldwell and Nampa, ID due to bad weather on the Pacific Northwest Coast. L-C State plays Division II Northwest Nazarene and Concordia-Portland on the 6th, #24 British Columbia on the 7th, and C. of Idaho on the 8th. #24 British Columbia plays Northwest Nazarene on the 6th, C. of Idaho on the 7th, and Concordia on the 8th. (video) The Warriors then go on a California tour, starting at San Diego Christian on Feb. 10.

#3 Oklahoma Wesleyan opens their season at Lyon Feb. 5-7. (video) #4 Oklahoma Baptist opens at home against York Feb. 6-7.

The North won the sixth annual Sun Conference All-Star Game 14-10. The offensive standouts for the south were 3B Eric Santamaria of Saint Thomas and C Carlos Contreras of Northwood (FL). Both went 3-for-3; Santamaria had three RBI, and Contreras had two. For the North, Dylan Heiring of Warner and RHP Sean Stanislawski of Webber International both struck out all three batters they faced. (All of the pitchers in the game pitched one inning.) Story

Conference play has already started in the Golden State Athletic Conference, with all eight teams in action. And, the two teams predicted to be the best in the conference, Concordia-Irvine and The Master's, played each other, at Irvine. Concordia won the first two games, 7-5 and 10-0, and The Master's won the third, 4-2. 1B Daniel Shine singled in the winning run in the first game. He also stole a base, and scored two runs. Story He went 2-4 with four RBI in the second game. Colin Orellana and Garrett Kraemer combined for the shutout; Kraemer allowed only two hits over the last four innings. In the third game, CF-RHP Steve Karkenny picked up from where he left off last year. He drew a walk and scored the winning run (on a double by 1B Collin Nyenhuis) in the top of the sixth, then moved to the mound in the bottom of the sixth, retired all five batters he faced, and got a save. Nyenhuis went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and two RBI. Story

Concordia hosts Arizona Christian Jan. 30-31 (video) and The Master's hosts Biola Jan. 30-31 (video). #5 Faulkner opens their season hosting LSU-Alexandria Jan. 30-31, and Northwood (FL) Jan. 31-Feb. 1. #6 Georgia Gwinnett host Blue Mountain Jan. 31-Feb. 1 (video). #9 Missouri Baptist visits William Carey Jan. 30; the Spartans were ranked #1 by Perfect Game (click here for their rankings).

Industriales built up a 5-0 lead over the first five innings, let it get away in the top of the sixth, then put it away with a big bottom of the seventh, in a game characterized by sloppy pitching.

Industriales open the scoring with a double by RF Dairon Blanco and an RBI single by CF Carlos Alberto before the first out was recorded in the bottom of the first. Alberto moved from first to third on a passed ball that C Franklin Aballe had trouble finding, then scored on a sacrifice fly by SS Lourdes Gourriel. They added a home run by 1B Alexander Malleta in the third. In the bottom of the fifth, Industriales benefited from two walks with two out by Holguin starter LHP Lander Moreira. Moreira was replaced by Maikel Sainz, who proceed to hit the first batter he faced, loading the bases. The next batter, DH Lisban Correa, hit a two-RBI single, and Industriales led 5-0. Sainz was replaced by Carlos A. Leon after facing only two batters.

A near-capacity crowd at Estadio Màrtires de Barbados in Bayamo got to see an excellent ball game.

Pinar del Rio was in control of this game for the first eight innings. They got two runs in the top of the first on an RBI double by DH Donal Duarte, and an RBI single by  1B Ramon Lunar. They added a run in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly by 3B Osniel Madera.

It looked for a long time like these three runs would be enough. Pinar del Rio got an excellent start from Erlis Casanova, who held Granma scoreless for five innings. Both he and reliever Livan Moinelo got some key strikeouts, and were also helped by double plays in the bottom of the first and fifth innings, a strikeout followed by a throw-out at second to end the second inning, and a good play by SS Yanciel Ajete to end the fourth inning with two runners left on base. Granma started the sixth inning with a base hit by SS Adrian Moreno, and Casanova turned the ball over to Moinelo. A long at-bat by LF Guillermo Jose Aviles resulted in a ground ball and Moreno out at second.

My first visit to a baseball game in Cuba was stopped by the mercy rule (“regla chili” in Spanish) after 6 1/2 innings.

Granma loaded the bases in each of the first three innings. In the first inning, they got a run on an RBI double by 1B Guillermo Jose, a two-RBI double by RF Urmani Guerra, and another RBI double by 3B Lazaro Alfredo. They left the bases loaded in the second inning, but in the third inning, they loaded the bases on singles by Guerrai and C Yulexis La Rosa, and an intentional walk, then SS Adrian Moreno hit a grand slam. It was 8-0 after three innings. Granma made it 12-0 in the fifth, with a sacrifice fly by Jose, a two-RBI single by 1B Yordanis Samon, and an RBI single by Guerra.

Granma starter Lazaro Blanco had a shutout with two out in the bottom of the sixth. He should have gotten out of the inning with a double play, but a suspect call at first kept the inning going. On the next play, the shortstop lost the handle on a routine ground ball. DH Alberto Toledo ended the shutout with an RBI single, and RF Lazaro D. Perez hit a shallow single that scored another run. Blanco left the game after that with six hits (three of them in the sixth inning, and two more by CF Robersis Ramos), zero earned runs, and 3 strikeouts.

Defending champion Cumberland starts the 2015 season ranked #1.

First place votes: Cumberland 19, Oklahoma Wesleyan 1

Northwood (FL) C Carlos Contreras and British Columbia LHP Conor Lillis-White are the headliners of the 2015 NAIA Preseason All-America Team.

Contreras transfered from Northwood (TX), which shut down their athletic program. He hit .453 there, with a slugging percentage of .753, fourth-highest in the NAIA.

Lillis-White had the lowest ERA in the NAIA last season, 0.46. He is already 2-0, 0.82 ERA this season.