Tim Fletcher Show: Virginia Wins College World Series + Byrd’s Philip Barbaree, Jr. Continues to Lead

Virginia pitcher Brandon Waddell put the clamps on Vanderbilt after giving up two runs in the first and the Cavaliers got a big game offensively from Pavin Smith to beat the Commodores 4-2 and capture the school's first baseball national title.

The win in the deciding game of the championship series of the College World Series was also the first for an ACC school since 1955.  The Cavaliers rebounded from the early 2-0 deficit thanks largely to Waddell, who retired the last 11 batters he faced.  Little used Nathan Kirby finished the drill for the Cavs on the hill, striking out five of the final six hitters Vanderbilt sent to the plate.

Smith tied the game in the fourth with a two-run homer and pushed the go-ahead run across the plate with an RBI single an inning later.

Virginia's 44 wins is the fewest by a College World Series champion since USC finished on top of the college baseball world with 43 wins in 1968.

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The NBA draft tonight will be heavy on Kentucky Wildcats, with Karl-Anthony Townes expected to be the first selection tonight by the Minnesota Timberwolves.  From there? It's anyone's guess.  The Lakers have the second pick and they are heavily rumored to be shopping the pick as part of a trade package.

Among players with local and regional ties, LSU's two potential picks, Jarrell Martin and Jordan Mickey are expected to hear their name late in the first round and early in the second respectively.  Arkansas' Bobby Portis will most likely get the call prior to Martin.  Louisiana Tech point guard, Speedy Smith has been forecast as a mid-to-late second round pick.

The Mavericks have the 21st pick in the first round and their second round pick will be the 52nd overall choice. New Orleans doesn't have a first round pick and won't choose until deep in the 2nd round with the 56th pick.

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Byrd junior Phil Barbaree, Jr. shot a four-under par round of 68 to get to -10 under par at the prestigious Rolex Tournament of Champions at Sunriver Resort in Oregon, the top event on the AJGA tour.  The Shreveport Times reports Barbaree's scorecard thus far features 10 birdies and 26 pars with no bogeys to help him build a four shot lead at the halfway mark.

Last year, Sam Burns of Shreveport won this event as part of his AJGA Rolex Player of the Year campaign.