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Wichita State baseball student-athlete Mitch Caster was killed in a car accident early Monday morning in Iowa. He was driving home to Wichita from playing summer baseball in Rochester, Minn.

The MLB draft, as expected, didn't end without several notable surprises. Some college teams were hit harder than others, too.

Seventeen first-round MLB picks are unsigned as the contract deadline nears and a bunch of college programs face a nervous weekend.

USC athletic director Pat Haden has proved he isn't kidding around. He fired Chad Kreuter and has a cornucopia of elite coaches to choose from.

A Southeastern Conference official says the Confederate symbol on the Mississippi flag could hurt the state's bid to host the SEC baseball tournament starting in 2012. Craig Mattox, the SEC assistant commissioner for championships, says the emblem "would not be a 100 percent deal breaker" but would be one of several factors considered as athletic directors choose a tournament site.

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Associated Press Writer

Chad Kreuter was fired as Southern California baseball coach by new athletic director Pat Haden on Monday. Haden named assistant Frank Cruz as interim head coach for the 2011 season. Haden became athletic director last week, saying one of his goals was to return USC's baseball program to national prominence.

Oklahoma and UCLA were the biggest surprises in 2010, but plenty of others also made significant statements with big accomplishments.

After four years of failing to make an NCAA postseason berth, USC finally decided to part ways with head coach Chad Kreuter.

Alfredo Despaigne hit two home runs including a walk-off three-run home run in the 10th inning to give Cuba a 4-3 win over USA in the gold medal game Saturday night at the V FISU World University Baseball Championships inside Meiji Jingu Stadium.

Several teams entered the year with high hopes and succeeded. There also are those that disappointed and hope to turn things around this fall.

Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt) scattered three hits over seven innings and George Springer (Connecticut) hit a grand slam as USA defeated host team Japan 4-2 in semi-final action at the V FISU World University Baseball Championships inside Yokohama Stadium Thursday night. With the win, USA (16-2) will make its fourth-straight appearance in the FISU gold medal game when they square off against Cuba on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 5 a.m. (EST).

The MLB draft signing deadline is less than two weeks away and we get you caught up on plenty of unsigned heralded prospects.

Team USA scored a combined 10 runs in the third and fourth innings and cruised to an 11-0, seven inning quarterfinal win over China Tuesday afternoon at the V FISU World University Championships inside Yokohama Stadium. With the win, USA (15-2) advances to the semi-finals and will play the winner of Chinese Taipei/Japan on Thursday with a scheduled start time yet to be determined.

Freshman right-hander Joe Flynn (Plymouth, Conn.) of the Franklin Pierce University baseball team has been named Cape Cod Baseball League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending on July 31, as announced Sunday by the league. He allowed just one earned run over 13 innings last week.

In a clash between a pair of unbeaten teams in pool play at the V FISU World University Championships, Matt Barnes (Connecticut) held Canada scoreless through seven innings and helped USA capture the No. 1 seed in Group A Monday night with an 8-1 win at Yokohama Stadium.

South Carolina coach Ray Tanner finally led his program to a national title in 2010. He is our National Coach of the Year for that and more.

Alex Marconi, who has spent the last five years as an assistant baseball coach at Ball State University, has been named the school's head baseball coach, according to Ball State athletics director Tom Collins.

Several coaches around the country did great jobs in 2010, but only 10 stand out among the rest because of their unique accomplishments.

The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee has voted to implement rules that address the pace of play and proposed an alteration to the rules governing obstruction by fielders.

The Cape Cod Baseball League selected its elite team today, and the Harwich Mariners lead the way with seven all-stars heading into the 48th annual All-Star game on July 28 at Fenway Park.

Clemson outfielder Kyle Parker made it a wild day for drafted players. We have a wealth of inside scoop about the draft to throw your way.

The MLB first-year player draft has come and gone and there are several players with decisions to make before the Aug. 16 deadline.

Notre Dame and Boston College made hires in the past week, but there are plenty of intriguing openings to watch the next few weeks.

University of Louisville outfielder Stewart Ijames was named Cape Cod Baseball League Player of the Week on Monday after an outstanding week at the plate for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.

The 2010 season has come and gone and we continue our look back with our final conference power rankings of the year.

Despite an injury, Rice's Anthony Rendon could become the first DI position player since 1998 to go No. 1 in the draft.

For the second time in his collegiate career, Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon must deal with a serious ankle injury. How serious is it?

No. 1 draft choice Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals has won the Golden Spikes Award, given to the country's top amateur baseball player. Harper hit a school-record 31 home runs and batted .443 with 98 RBIs as a freshman at the College of Southern Nevada. The 17-year-old slugger left high school two years early and later enrolled in junior college.

Every summer, Cape Cod plays host to the top talent in college baseball -- yes, it's the inspiration for Summercatch. And every week this summer, NCAA.com will highlight the top performances, including Players of the Week nods for Vanderbilt's Aaron Westlake and Harvard's Max Perlman.