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Wake-Up Call: Locals swing into postseason

Associated Press file photo

Billy Bullock is 2-2 with a 2.06 ERA, 11 saves and 44 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings for the Gators.

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By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 27, 2009

The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

The Tampa Bay area is well-represented in the NCAA Division I college baseball regional tournaments, which begin Friday.

Here are 10 local players to watch, presented alphabetically:

Robbie Anston (Sickles), outfielder, Boston College – Anston, a junior and second-team All-ACC selection, is BC's leading hitter at .358. He has 82 hits, tying the BC single-season record, and 15 stolen bases. The Eagles (33-24), earning their first NCAA bid since 1967, open against Texas State (41-15) at Austin, Texas.

Billy Bullock (Riverview), relief pitcher, Florida – Bullock, a second-team All-SEC selection, has been a formidable closer for the Gators at 2-2 with a 2.06 ERA, 11 saves and 44 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings. The Gators (39-20) open at home against Bethune-Cookman University (32-26).

Sam Dyson (Jesuit), right-handed pitcher, South Carolina – Dyson, a sophomore who took a medical redshirt season in 2007, is 8-4 with a 5.31 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 95 innings. He's a power pitcher considered a prime draft prospect. The Gamecocks (38-21) open against George Mason (42-12) at Greenville, N.C.

Shawn Griffith (Largo), right-handed pitcher, George Mason – Griffith is George Mason's top reliever with a 4-0 record, 2.91 ERA and three saves in 28 appearances.

Ben Koenigsfeld (Ridgewood), pitcher/outfielder, Army – Koenigsfeld, a sophomore, was Most Valuable Player of the Patriot League Tournament, which allowed Army to earn an automatic NCAA Regional bid. In a tournament sweep of Lafayette, Koenigsfeld hit a home run in the first game, then pitched eight innings of one-run ball in the second game. Overall, he is 8-4 with a 4.98 ERA, while batting .343 with seven homers and 37 RBIs. The Black Knights (34-19) open at Texas (41-13-1), the No. 1 overall seed.

Brandon McArthur (Armwood), third baseman, Florida – McArthur, a senior, is winding down his Gator career. He's fourth on the team in batting (.321), while contributing two homers and 35 RBIs.

Nick McCully (Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic), right-handed pitcher, Coastal Carolina – McCully, a first-team All-Big South Conference selection, has shifted from closer to starter for the Chanticleers. He is 7-1 with a 1.92 ERA. Coastal Carolina (46-14) opens against Kansas (37-22) at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Geoff Parker (Zephyrhills), right-handed pitcher, Florida State – Parker, a sophomore, is a valuable swingman on the FSU staff. He is 6-1 with a 4.55 ERA. In 28 appearances (five starts), he has 61 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings. The Seminoles (42-16) open at home against Marist (31-26).

Preston Tucker (Plant), first baseman, Florida – Tucker became the SEC's Co-Freshman of the Year after batting .338 with 12 home runs and 77 RBIs (third all-time on UF's single-season list; Ryan Shealy set the record with 80 in 2002).

Jeff Walters (St. Petersburg College), right-handed pitcher, Georgia – Walters, a junior transfer, is 2-0 with a 4.14 ERA out of the Bulldogs' bullpen. He has 44 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings. The Bulldogs (37-22) open against Ohio State (40-17) at Tallahassee.

There are 16 regional sites, each with four teams in a double-elimination format. The 16 regional winners move to a best-of-three super regional. Those eight winners go to the College World Series, which begins June 13 in Omaha, Neb.

White arrives at Georgia Tech (finally)

Matt White, the one-time Rays' bonus baby who never made it to the big leagues, is serving as a volunteer assistant coach with Georgia Tech's baseball program. White, a high-school phenom from Pennsylvania, originally signed with Georgia Tech, but opted for professional baseball. He spent 10 seasons with the Rays' organization, eventually getting derailed by a series of shoulder injuries before retiring in 2006. He's pursuing a degree in wildlife management from the University of Georgia.

Van Pelt at East Regional

Western Carolina University discus thrower Jamie Van Pelt (Plant) will compete in this weekend's NCAA East Regional Track and Field meet at Greensboro, N.C. Van Pelt, named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, won the discus title at the SoCon meet (48.51 meters).

Figgins' hitting streak at 14

Los Angeles Angels infielder Chone Figgins (Brandon) extended his hitting streak to 14 games, tying a career high, on Tuesday night with a fourth-inning single against Chicago White Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon.

Sheffield goes deep again

New York Mets outfielder Gary Sheffield (Hillsborough) homered for the second straight game, hitting a three-run blast in Tuesday night's 6-1 win against the Washington Nationals. It was the 504th career homer for Sheffield, who tied Eddie Murray for 24th place on the all-time list.

Ruud ranked ninth-best inside LB

Barrett Ruud of the Bucs was ranked as the NFL's ninth-best inside linebacker by a team of former league scouts assembled by Sporting News Today. Brian Urlacher of the Bears was No. 1. Baltimore Ravens veteran Ray Lewis (Kathleen) was No. 4 and Cleveland Browns playmaker D'Qwell Jackson (Largo), who led the league in tackles with 184 last season, was No. 15.

Magley transfers to Tulsa

D.J. Magley (Bradenton Christian), a 6-foot-9, 250-pound center who was part of Western Kentucky University's Sweet 16 men's basketball team in 2008, has transferred to Tulsa. Magley averaged 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds as a freshman. But when Coach Darren Horn took the South Carolina job, Magley saw his playing time decrease, while his statistics (2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds) took a dip.

Former Saint Leo College coach and athletic director Ted Owens, who coached Magley's father, David, at Kansas, was instrumental in guiding the player to Tulsa's program, according to a report in the Tulsa World.

Magley must sit out the 2009-10 season, but will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Birthday wishes

Happy belated birthday to former Chamberlain High School quarterback Dean May, who played at Louisville, then became a fifth-round draft choice of the Miami Dolphins in 1984. He had a cup of coffee in the NFL, briefly playing for the Eagles and Broncos. Tuesday, May turned 47.

The Answer Man

Here's the answer to Tuesday's trivia question:

Under Manager Joe Maddon (2006-present), the Rays are 1-10 on the road against the Los Angeles Angels. The Rays can improve upon that record on their only trip to Anaheim this season, Aug. 10-12.

Wednesday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

The Orlando Magic, after Tuesday night's 116-114 overtime victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, are one win away from reaching the franchise's second NBA Finals. Which team did the Magic defeat 4-3 in the 1995 Eastern Conference finals.

Check for the answer in Thursday's Wake-Up Call.

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