MEDFORD, Mass. — As a high school senior in 2000 pitching for Cincinnati’s St. Xavier High School, Randy Newsom had none other than Harvard courting him for his athletic prowess. While the Crimson offered the allure of Div. I athletics and the prestige of an Ivy League education, Newsom was more intrigued by an earlier visit to Tufts.

“In comparison, [Tufts] felt a lot more comfortable,” Newsom said. “The people there seemed very genuine. In the end, Tufts was the best combination of athletics and academics and people that I found.”

Newsom ultimately decided to pursue his big league aspirations with the Div. III Jumbos. As it turned out, he had picked the path to success.

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SAN MARCOS, Texas — The Texas State baseball team announced the addition of pitching coach Derek Matlock to their staff Aug. 20.

While Matlock is excited and energized about this upcoming season, his fellow coaches and players seem even more enthused about his arrival than he.

“We’re excited about having coach Matlock. He has a positive thought process that will only rub off on the team’s success,” Ty Harrington said.

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The hallowed red clay that was once the starting point for hundreds of major-leaguers’ careers and four national championships is accepting hopefuls for walk-on positions.

Miami’s baseball program is advertising the open spots-something that is not usually done-to attract students to try out for the 2007-2008 season.

“There are opportunities for some guys to make our team that I want known,” head coach Jim Morris said. “We’ve had try-outs, usually later in November, but never really announced it [to the student body].”

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Hurricanes’ baseball team had never lost an NCAA regional coming into last season. In sports, some streaks must eventually come to an end.

Miami lost its first regional since the 1993 season at the hands of Louisville. The Cardinals defeated the Hurricanes twice in regional play in Columbia, Miss. in the first week of June.

Many fans considered the Hurricanes’ finish a disappointment since the team was ranked second by Baseball America in a pre-season poll.

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OMAHA, Neb. — The NCAA has suspended three Nebraska baseball players fortrading bats for store credit.

The Nebraska athletic department announced Friday that outfielder Andy Gerchwill be suspended the first 12 games of 2008, while catcher Jeff Lanning andutilityman Craig Corriston will miss the first six games of the season under theNCAA’s suspensions.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — For most of us, getting a passport is a long and painful process that can last up to five or six weeks. However, when N.C. State pitcher Eric Surkamp applied for his passport this summer, it came back in just a couple of days.

That’s what happens when Team USA requests your services.

Surkamp, a junior in business management, got a call in mid-July telling him the National Team needed him, and he responded. The junior from Cincinnati left his team in the Cape Cod League immediately to suit up for the Red, White and Blue.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Last season could have been the end of Eryk McConnell’s N.C. State career when the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the June Major League Baseball draft. McConnell changed that last week when he decided to return to school.

The redshirt senior was a 10th-round pick of the Orioles’, but the team didn’t sign him, and McConnell, the closer on last year’s team, will return for his final season with the team.

McConnell was 3-2 with a 1.72 ERA last year for the Wolfpack as the closer. He converted 11 of his 13 save chances as he held down the back end of State’s bullpen.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — The New York Yankees last week signed former N.C. State pitcher Andrew Brackman to a four-year Major League contract.

A press release from the Yankees media relations office also said the contract includes three additional club-option years that Wolfpack associate head coach Tom Holliday said can be considered incentive clauses.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was unavailable to respond to a phone call and e-mail message requesting comment.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — N.C. State baseball coach Elliott Avent announced last week that Chris Hart, who has been a part of the team’s staff for three years, will now be a full-time assistant coach with the team. Hart was the director of baseball operations in 2005 and 2006 and a volunteer assistant coach during the 2007 campaign.

Hart has plenty of experience in the ACC, having played at Florida State from 1999-2003. After his graduation, he spent 2004 as an assistant coach at St. Petersburg College in Florida before coming to N.C. State for the 2005 season.

Associate head coach Tom Holliday praised Hart’s expertise and what he adds to the program.

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PHILADELPHIA — Temple pitcher Richie Gargel passed away Wednesday, Aug. 15, following a swimming pool accident earlier in the week.

The 6-foot, 145 pound pitcher from Brigantine, N.J. was 19.

After a steadily improving freshman season for the Owls, in which he struck out 26 batters in 30.2 innings, Gargel was pitching for the St. Cloud River Bats of the Northwood Summer League. He was 1-0 with a 5.40 earned run average and four strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched.

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