Campbell should have got a regional. It's incredible to me that the process goes from hotels making money at regionals, to UK being able to pocket it by putting them in bummy dorms.
I hate the idea of Kentucky’s players not getting to experience hosting a regional because of things out of their control, but it seems Kentucky’s administration has handled this very poorly all the way around. When it comes to a situation like this, Kentucky shouldn’t be trying to go the cheap route. They should be going out of their way to find the best accommodations for the other teams and their staffs, regardless of cost, to put on the appearance that they’re the best option for hosting even under difficult circumstances. They haven’t done that, and I bet the committee will remember that and hold that against them in the future, should they be in this position again.
#Wake Forest Demon Deacons #Maryland Terrapins #Northeastern Huskies #George Mason Patriots Winston-Salem Regional Preview: Mighty Deacs face stiff test ANALYSIS Shotgun Spratling - June 1, 2023 Regional Scoreboard | Bracket Challenge Checking The Field 1. Wake Forest: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 2. Maryland: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 3. Northeastern: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 4. George Mason: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders Spoiler Winston-Salem Regional Superlatives Most Exciting Player: Mike Sirota, CF, Northeastern. The dynamic 6-foot-3 Sirota is such a vital piece for the Huskies, as became evident when he missed the final month+ of the season and the Northeastern bats struggled to put together anything close to being considered offense. Sirota has great athleticism for his size. He is a strong defender that tracks down everything, and he has the speed/power combination at the plate that scouts covet. Best Hitter: Nick Lorusso, 3B, Maryland. There are several high-end draft prospects that will play in this regional, but no one has been as productive as Lorusso. The former Villanova transfer has excelled in his two seasons with the Terrapins, setting the school RBI record with 169 thanks to a nation’s best 99 runs driven in this season. He leads Maryland with a .369 average and 1.164 OPS thanks to being tied (with teammate Matt Shaw) for a Big Ten-best 23 home runs Best Defensive Player: Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland. Shaw has good range and can make the spectacular play with above-average arm strength, which he showed off multiple times in the Big Ten Tournament, including making an iconic jump throw in the 5-6 hole. Best Pitcher: Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest. This one is easy…just use the same guy as last year’s College Park Regional preview when the Terps and Demon Deacons faced off. We’re going with the flowing locks of the two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year that is 13-0 on the season. X-Factor: Dynamic leadoff hitters. The leadoff hitters in this regional all are hitting at least .332 with 30 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. Wake Forest’s Tommy Hawke is the most pesky. South Trimble from George Mason is the biggest stolen base threat with 30. Sirota is the biggest power threat with 18 home runs and Maryland’s Luke Shliger is just always on base thanks to 88 free passes (BB/HBP) he’s drawn. Whichever leadoff hitter can be the best table setter could be the guy that gets to continue playing next week. Best Starting Rotation: Wake Forest. Northeastern is second in the nation in team ERA…and still trails Wake Forest by an unbelievable full three-quarters of a run: 3.57 to 2.82. It all starts with the starting rotation and ace Lowder, the two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year, but the Demon Deacons have arm upon arm upon talented arm. They lost Teddy McGraw for the year right before the season, and it had absolutely no impact slowing down the Deacs’ juggernaut on the mound. Lefties Josh Hartle (9-1, 2.35) and Sean Sullivan (5-2, 2.75) have had All-America-caliber years in the rotation behind Lowder. Best Bullpen: Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons’ bullpen features six pitchers with 16 or more appearances and only two have an ERA over 3.60. The combination of Cole Roland, Michael Massey and Camden Minacci is about as electric as it gets at the backend. Minacci led the ACC and is sixth in the nation with 12 saves and has the worst numbers of the three. He only strikes out 14.0 batters per nine innings while Massey has been striking out 16.3 per nine. He has 66 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. And Roland has been the hardest to hit of the bunch holding hitters to a .146 average against. Best Offensive Team: Maryland. Maryland’s offense averaged 9.2 runs per game. After not scoring in double figures at all during a sluggish start to the season, the Terrapins posted 10 or more runs in 20 of their final 49 games. They can manufacture runs and be aggressive on the base paths. They have a deep lineup that is one of the best in the country getting on base at a .431 clip (fourth nationally) while also being one of the most potent. Maryland is second in the nation with 123 home runs and third with a .562 slugging percentage. Playing in the bandbox that is David F. Couch Ballpark, the Terps will try to bash their way to a regional title. Best Defensive Team: Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons do it all. They have the highest fielding percentage of the bunch. There were questions about who would replace Brendan Tinsman behind the plate and Michael Turconi at shortstop, but transfer Bennett Lee and freshman Marek Houston have slid in seamlessly. No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 7. Wake Forest has all the pieces for a College World Series title run, but there are a lot of extra pressures as the top overall seed. An enviable spot that has not been so enviable with Miami in 1999 being the only top seed to win since the NCAA switched to the super regional format in 1999. The selection committee did the Demon Deacons no favors with their regional opponents, which is why this number isn’t higher even though we have a lot of confidence in Tom Walter’s club. Winston-Salem Regional Team Breakdowns Wake Forest (47-10, 22-7 ACC) Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest (Wake photo) Wake Forest has been the most consistent and most dominant program all season. The Demon Deacons opened the season with 13 straight wins and never really slowed down from there. They became the first ACC team since 2017 to win all 10 of its conference series, and they’ve tied the school record for wins. They hope to add to that tally as they try to march to their first College World Series since 1955 when they won their only national championship. Wake Forest produced the nation’s top RPI while running away with the ACC Atlantic Division by two and a half games, a margin that would have been even bigger in the Coastal Division. They pitch. They hit. They field. And they do it all at the highest level. They lead the nation in most pitching categories, are top 10 in several batting categories and have a top 20 fielding percentage. It all starts with staff ace Rhett Lowder (13-0, 1.69), who recently became just the second two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year award winner. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him held for the second game of the regional, which won’t actually be much of a reprieve for George Mason as the Deacs are loaded on the mound with Josh Hartle (9-2, 2.63), Seth Keener (6-1, 2.50), and Sean Sullivan (5-3, 2.75) all with sub-3.00 ERAs in more than 55 innings and averaging at worst 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings. The staff as a whole has a 2.82 ERA with lockdown relievers like Cole Roland (2-1, 1.95, 2 SV), Michael Massey (3-0, 2.72, 1 SV) and Camden Minacci (0-1, 2.93, 12 SV) all waiting if an opponent can actually drive a starter from a game. The offense is explosive and capable of putting up runs in a hurry. Five everyday hitters are batting at least .330 with four of five having drive in at least 50 runs. The lone exception is leadoff hitter Tommy Hawke (.352, 5, 30 with 13 steals in 14 attempts. Wake Forest doesn’t try to run often but has been highly successful having been thrown out only twice this season. Instead, the Demon Deacons prefer to bash their way to runs, which they are fully capable of doing, especially in the heart of the order where Nick Kurtz (.379, 23, 63) and Brock Wilken (.351, 27, 74) reside. Both have an on-base percentage above .500, and the duo is the top home-run-hitting tandem in the nation with 50 combined home runs. Maryland (41-19, 17-7 Big Ten) Nick Lorusso (Shotgun Spratling) There were a lot of expectations for Maryland after the Terrapins returned the core of their first-ever regional host squad from last year, but they started the season 4-7 with a series loss at Ole Miss followed by a poor 0-3 showing in the Cambria College Classic in Minneapolis. But Maryland soon turned things around, starting with a sweep of an NCAA tournament Maine team and then continuing a couple weeks later when they started conference play where it continues to dominate, having not lost a Big Ten series since 2021. Last year was Maryland’s first Big Ten regular-season title and its first time winning a conference in 51 years. It didn’t take quite as long for their next title. The Terps took the conference, finishing a game in front of Indiana thanks to a forceful sweep in Bloomington a month ago. Maryland also swept through the Big Ten Tournament field en route to its first Big Ten Tournament title, which was also its first conference tournament championship. The Terps are battle tested and won’t be in awe of Wake Forest having faced them last year in the regional Maryland hosted. Like the Demon Deacons, they also have a ton of talent in their starting lineup. That starts with the top third of the lineup where catcher Luke Shliger seems to always be on base (.521 OBP) and always coming around to score. He leads the nation with 88 runs scored. He is second in the nation in walks drawn with 65 while being 10th in the country having been hit by a pitch 23 times. Maryland’s top offensive prospect, shortstop Matt Shaw (.347, 23, 67 with 17 SB), has been classified as a danger to baseballs everywhere. He explodes at the baseball and does damage when he connects. Nick Lorusso (.369, 23, 99) is often the man to drive in Shliger and Shaw. He leads the nation in RBIs. Getting through that trio feels like an accomplishment in and of itself, but the Maryland lineup is deep. The Terrapins punish mistakes one through nine. They are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation with 123 home runs, having seven batters with nine or more home runs and another at seven dingers. (Of course, that’s a downgrade from having nine batters with nine or more homers last year.) But how far Maryland can go this season will depend on its pitching, which has been a roller coaster ride at best this season. The Terps returned two of the three starters in their 2022 triple-ace weekend rotation with Jason Savacool (8-5, 4.30) and Nick Dean (3-1, 4.86), but they’ve struggled to find a consistent Sunday starter and multiple bullpen weapons. Southpaw freshman Kyle McCoy (4-6, 5.91) has shown flashes of the high-end talent he possesses, including throwing eight shutout innings with nine strikeouts and no walks against UCF and seven innings, giving up one run against Indiana. However, he was shut down after struggling the next week against Nebraska and seeing his velocity dip. McCoy returned in the Big Ten Tournament after 17 days off but pitched only two-thirds of an inning and still didn’t look back to full strength. His availability going forward could be crucial for a team thin on quality arms. Kenny Lippman (8-1, 4.82, 1 SV) could be a starting option, but he’s been their top long relief option and most-used bullpen arm with 29 appearances. The Terps’ most talented bullpen arm is 6’4” righthander Nigel Belgrave (4-0, 5.67, 2 SV), who can get up to 97 mph with a wipeout slider but has struggled with his command. He hasn’t been as sharp in the month of May and has seen his ERA jump nearly a run and a half. Maryland’s most trusted reliever is David Falco Jr. (4-0, 3.80, 9 SV), who is the closer in name but much more for the Terps. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he has an invisi-fastball that hitters struggle to square up Northeastern (44-14, 20-10 Colonial) Northeastern’s Mike Sirota launches a homer against UNCW (Aaron Fitt) The Huskies bounced back from a season where they failed to meet expectations by focusing on culture and chemistry, and it has translated into Mike Glavine’s first 40+ win season at his alma mater. Three different D1 staffers have seen Northeastern this season, and each have come away impressed. The Huskies weren’t just a competitive midmajor. They downed some of the top teams in the nation, sweeping Indiana State on the road, winning at Duke and Connecticut along with beating Boston College in Brookline. Oh yeah, they also dominated Maryland, 9-2, in a midweek winner. Freshman Aiven Cabral (9-3, 2.26, 68 K, 12 BB in 79.2 IP) has been nails moving from a bullpen role to being the Sunday starter and eventually being moved to the front of the weekend rotation. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but Cabral knows how to pitch to both sides of the plate with multiple pitches. He has the third-best ERA in the nation of any freshman because he has a fireballer’s fastball fearlessness, unafraid to attack hitters repeatedly because of his aggressive mindset. He has walked only 12 batters in 79.2 innings, which basically means he fits in well on the Northeastern staff where walks are abhorred. The Huskies’ four starters (including midweek starter/swingman Jake Gigliotti who has thrown 65.2 innings) have a combined walks per nine of 1.64 freebies. The team as a whole is fifth in the nation walking 3.07 batters per nine. The pitching staff is also No. 2 in ERA (as mentioned above), eighth in WHIP, No. 21 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio and No. 30 in hits allowed per nine innings. Wyatt Scotti (6-3, 3.80) entered the year as the Friday starter and got out to an outstanding start before a midseason rough patch, but he was terrific against Elon striking out five in six scoreless in the CAA Tournament last week. At the backend of games, sidewinder GriffinYoung (3-3, 2.15, 10 SV) has been outstanding. He provides length (46 innings in 24 appearances) and reliability and strikes out more than a batter per inning with a sweeping slider. As good as the pitching has been this year, it’s basically a repeat of last year’s national ranks. The real turnaround has been on the offensive side where the Huskies have gone from a bottom 25 scoring offense to being in the top 40. They scored 300 runs in 61 games last year. They crossed home plate 454 times in 58 games so far this season. Having Mike Sirota (.359, 18, 54, 19 SB) and Danny Crossen (.343, 19, 46, 16 SB) healthy has been a huge boon. The additions of Columbia transfer Tyler MacGregor (.339, 18, 53) and Bryant transfer Alex Lane (.326, 15, 57) have lengthened the lineup and added some pop. Freshman Cam Maldonado is the fifth Husky with double-digit home runs. He was named CAA Rookie of Year after hitting .357, 13, 45 with a team-high 13 doubles and being in the top 25 nationally in stolen bases, having swiped 31 in 32 attempts. As a team, Northeastern was seventh in the nation with 132 stolen bases. George Mason (34-25, 13-10 Atlantic 10) George Mason’s South Trimble (GMU Athletics) Shawn Camp quietly has had one of the best seasons of any first-year head coach in 2023. The former big league pitcher took over at his alma mater and has led the Patriots to 34 wins for the first time since 2014 when George Mason was last in a regional. As could be expected with a former pitcher at the helm, George Mason has done it with pitching, leading the Atlantic 10 in nearly every pitching statistic. Ben Shields (7-3, 4.36, 1 SV) and Chad Gartland (6-2, 3.43, 2 SV) head the staff. Shields is a veteran lefty that can push his fastball into the mid-90s with a swing-and-miss slider that has helped him strike out 12.3 batters per nine innings while holding hitters to a .197 average. He has shown he can get out elite hitters, going 3-1, 2.73 with 29 strikeouts in 29.2 innings during the Cape Cod regular season last summer and allowing three hits and one run in six innings against an offensive Rutgers team early this season. Gartland was that Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year and was just named Atlantic 10 Tournament Most Outstanding Performer after the sophomore threw eight strong innings to open the tournament and came back to close out an elimination game three days later. Our Walter Villa profiled Gartland earlier this year, highlighting his efforts to raise money for the local fire department. The Patriots had four relievers with sub-2.70 ERAs and 10 or more appearances led by stopper Christian Mracna (4-1, 2.08, 4 SV), who held hitters to a .155 average but is susceptible to walking a batter or two. George Mason’s offense is built on speed and aggressive baserunning. It was fourth in the nation in stolen bases (third in stolen bases per game) and is one of only three teams in the country to have four or more players with 20+ stolen bases. Leadoff hitter South Trimble (.332, 3, 37, 30 SB) leads the way on the base paths and for the offense in general. He’s the pot stirrer that has to get on base for the Patriots to have any chance to make some noise. Catcher Connor Dykstra (.293, 8, 43, 15) is the top power threat in the lineup. He’s also a human ball magnet having been hit a whopping 32 times the season, which leads the nation.
#Arkansas Razorbacks #TCU Horned Frogs #Arizona Wildcats #Santa Clara Broncos Fayetteville Regional Preview: Hogs protect turf versus big bats POSTSEASON Mark Etheridge - June 1, 2023 Regional Schedule/Results | Regional Scoreboard | Bracket Challenge Checking The Field Arkansas puts its 30-4 home record on the line against three very potent offenses in the Fayetteville Regional. Big 12 Tournament champion TCU, Pac 12 Tournament finalist Arizona, and WCC Tournament Champion Santa Clara are poised for noise in an offensive regional. 1. Arkansas: Regular Season Results| Team Stats and Leaders 2. TCU: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 3. Arizona: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 4. Santa Clara: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders Spoiler Fayetteville Regional Superlatives Most Exciting Player: Chase Davis, OF, Arizona. The junior Davis (.369/.496/.757) is having a monster year with 21 homers and 74 RBIs and forms a potent duo with first baseman Kiko Romero (.347/442/.711), who has 19 home runs and 86 RBI of his own. Davis has also carved a name for himself with highlight-reel catches in left field. He’s projected as a first-round selection in July. Best Hitter: Brayden Taylor, 3B, TCU. Taylor is the all-time home run leader at TCU with 45 and has a chance to go in the first round in the draft. Taylor has been consistent throughout his TCU career, batting over .300 with an OPS of over 1.000 each year. He’s hit for more power this year with 19 home runs and is the centerpiece of a powerful, aggressive TCU lineup. Best Defensive Player: Nik McClaughry, SS, Arizona. McClaughry won the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award. McClaughry paced the conference with 162 defensive assists and posted a dazzling .983 fielding percentage on 229 total chances. Best Pitcher: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas. He’s a lefty with premium stuff, shown by the 102 strikeouts in 67 innings. He’s been the Friday starter and the shutdown stopper. He can fill any role, and his versatility adds to his value. X-Factor: Brady Tygart, RHP, Arkansas. A preseason all-American as a closer, Tygart was injured and missed much of the season. He’s been slowly returning and has done so starting five games, going an inning longer in the first four. His SEC Tournament start wasn’t as sharp, leading to consideration of using him in relief. Whatever role he plays, Tygart is a big part of Arkansas’s postseason success. Best Starting Rotation: Arkansas. If the Hogs send Smith, Hunter Hollan, and Tygart out there in succession, that trio stacks up with any in the country. Throughout the season, all have started and all have relieved, as has dependable vet Will McEntire. Best Bullpen: Santa Clara. While the Razorbacks have the best arms, we really aren’t sure which of their best pitchers will start or relieve. As a result, we’ll profile Santa Clara here. August Souza (1-2, 1.69, 5 svs) is a dependable option who can extend when needed. Blake Hammond (6-1, 2.35) is another reliable reliever. Flamethrower Skyler Hales is the relief ace and a legitimate pro prospect. Best Offensive Team: Arizona. The Wildcats are slashing .320/.406/552 as a team, and eight of the top ten batters (by ABs) are batting over .300. Led by Davis and Romero, the Wildcats’ offense has overcome some inconsistent pitching to score double-digits in 25 games this season. Best Defensive Team: Arkansas. The Razorbacks are fielding .981 as a team and are particularly strong up the middle with catcher Parker Rowland, shortstop John Bolton, and center fielder Tavian Josenberger. No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 7. Arkansas has been so tough at home, and while TCU looks like a scary two-seed, the Hogs just continue to find ways to win. They won’t wow you offensively, but it’s been effective regardless of the competition. Fayetteville Regional Team Breakdowns Arkansas (41-16, 20-10 SEC) Hagen Smith (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos) Arkansas won a share of the SEC regular season despite battling through a rash of injuries losing second baseman Peyton Stovall and pitchers Jaxon Wiggins and Dylan Carter. In addition, Brady Tygart, Tavian Josenberger, and Jared Wegner also missed significant time but are back, making this the healthiest the Razorbacks have been in a while. Offensively, Arkansas is batting .276/.392/.469, which doesn’t compare with the other teams in this quartet, much less the national seeds. However, Arkansas does a great job of maximizing opportunities, playing smart baseball, and getting clutch hits. How far with that take them? Maybe, a long way, if the regular season is any indication. The Razorbacks also went 30-4 at Baum-Walker Stadium this year, one of the best home records in the country. Offensively, Arkansas is led by Jace Bohrofen (.318/.440/.601), who led the team in doubles and home runs, with 14 of each. Kendall Diggs (.309/.442/.559) flourished late in the season and Josenberger (.290/.416/.460) and Wegner (.308/.456/.662) are impact bats. Looking at the pitching staff, Smith (8-1, 2.69) is a future big-leaguer, and he and Hunter Hollan (8-2, 4.06) have piggybacked successfully in several games this season. Will they start separate games or a combo for regional play? Tygart (2-1, 3.20) has returned and is stretched out enough to provide long starts, while Will McEntire (7-3, 5.11) has been solid as a starter and a reliever, leading the team in innings with 79.1. Zack Morris (1-3, 6.61) has pitched better of late and will have a key role, as will Cody Adcock (4-2, 4.69). I actually feel the Razorbacks are more vulnerable in a regional format because it makes it more challenging to stack their arms. If they advance, look out. TCU (37-22, 13-11 Big 12) Brayden Taylor (Eric Sorenson photo) Coming into Fayetteville on a six-game winning streak that includes a Big 12 Tournament title, TCU now resembles the squad that opened the season and jumped near the top of the polls. That included an 18-6 victory over Arkansas opening weekend, so rest assured the Horned Frogs won’t be intimidated by the 3rd overall national seed should the teams meet. With a .295/.399/.476 team slash line, 27 home runs, and seven everyday players batting over .290, TCU is a handful at the plate. Taylor (.305/.430/.650) slugged 21 home runs, drove in 59 runs, and even stole 12 bases. He’s one of five Horned Frogs with double-digit steals. Three have 20 or more, so look for the Frogs to put pressure on opponents in the running game. Freshman Anthony Silva (.346/.436/.505) is one to watch, along with freshman catcher Karson Bowen (.346/.413/.508). If the Horned Frogs keep the same rotation, Louis Rodriguez (2-1, 4.53, 3 svs) will start the opener, while freshman Kole Klecker (9-4, 4.04) will go in game two. Klecker leads TCU in innings pitched with 75.2, starting 13 games. Other potential starters include senior Sam Stoutenborough (3-0, 4.31), junior Cam Brown (3-2, 5.25), and freshman Braeden Sloan (2-3, 6.63). Ben Abeldt (2-3, 4.17, 1 sv), Garrett Wright (2-2, 3.38, 4 svs) lead the pen. TCU fields .976 as a team. Arizona (33-24, 12-18 Pac 12) Chase Davis (Photo by Shotgun Spratling) Arizona has won seven of its last nine games entering the postseason, including a Pac-12 tournament finals appearance, a furious run that did just enough to ease into the field of 64. Davis and Romero are tough to pitch to, while centerfielder Mac Bingham (.369/.441/.590) leads the team with 20 doubles and also has ten homers and 51 RBIs. Second baseman Mason White (.310/.379/.590) had eight homers and a team-best seven triples. Arizona will need to outperform a team ERA of 5.87 this weekend. To do so, it will need a strong start from Bradon Zastrow (6-5, 5.28), who threw a complete game in a win over Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament. Cam Walty (5-0, 5.33) and TJ Nichols (3-5, 8.08) are the other weekend starters, with Aiden May (5-2, 6.50) another option. May started the tournament final. Trevor Long (2-5, 5.63) has five saves, and Dawson Netz (2-0, 3.46), Eric Orloff (2-0, 4.57), Chris Barraza (5-2, 6.43), and Casey Hintz (0-3, 4.85) are top relief options. The Wildcats field .978. Santa Clara (35-18, 17-10 WCC) Jared Feikes (Santa Clara photo) The Broncos finished second in the WCC regular season behind Loyola Marymount and won the WCC Tournament. Interesting non-conference wins came splitting a four-game series with Washington opening weekend and splitting two midweek games with Stanford. With a .300/.403/.491 slash line, six of the Santa Clara hitters with over 100 at bats are batting above .300. First baseman Efrain Manzo (.318/.418/.668) with 19 doubles, 17 home runs, and 54 RBIs, all team-bests, is the top bat along with outfielder Michael O’Hara (323/.418/.453). Cole Kitchen (3-2, 4.25), Jared Felkes (5-1, 5.05), Brandon Gomez (6-3, 3.50), Nick Sando (3-3, 6.65) are the top starters, and Skylar Hales (6-4, 2.81, 4 svs), Blake Hammond (6-1, 2.35), and August Souza (1-2, 1.69, 5 svs) are other key arms. The Broncos field .974.
#Miami Hurricanes #Texas Longhorns #Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns #Maine Black Bears Coral Gables Regional Preview: A clash of traditional powers POSTSEASON Walter Villa - June 1, 2023 Regional Scoreboard | Bracket Challenge Checking the Field Miami ran out of its top pitchers, losing to Clemson in the ACC title game and coming up just short of a top-eight seed. Texas, seeded second in this regional, has won six College World Series titles, most recently in 2005. Miami has won four CWS titles, most recently in 2001. Third-seeded Louisiana made it to the CWS in 2000, and fourth-seeded Maine has made seven CWS appearances, most recently in 1986. 1. Miami: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 2. Texas: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 3. Louisiana: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 4. Maine: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders Spoiler Coral Gables Regional Superlatives Most Exciting Player: Miami third baseman Yohandy “Yo-Yo” Morales consistently makes hard contact, knocking the ball out to all fields. If you need to buy a beverage during the game, it’s best to wait until after his at-bat is over. Best Hitter: Morales, a projected first-round pick this July, does more than hit for power. He is hitting .405 with 13 doubles, 16 homers and a 1.157 OPS. Best Defensive Player: Louisiana catcher Julian Brock is a physical defender and a premium leader. Right fielder Dylan Campbell has been Texas’ best defensive player all season, totaling seven assists. Best Pitcher: Texas lefty Lucas Gordon is a legit draft prospect. Since starting his college career with the Longhorns in 2021, Gordon is 13-3 with a 2.85 ERA. X-Factor: Hurricanes closer Andrew Walters is having another dominant season (1.08 ERA, 11 saves, .168 batting average allowed). If Miami can get him into the game in the eighth inning with the lead, the Canes would love their chances of victory. Best Rotation: The Longhorns have the best 1-2 rotation punch of this regional with Lucas Gordon and Lebarron Johnson Jr. Overall, Texas’ team ERA of 4.13 leads the Big 12. The Longhorns also allowed the fewest homers in the league (33), and they gave up the lowest batting average (.242). Best Bullpen: The Canes are 16-5 when they don’t give the ball to one of their top three starters – Gage Ziehl, Karson Ligon or Alejandro Rosario – and that’s a sign of their pitching depth. Walters is perhaps the best closer in the country, but other Miami relievers emerged this season, including freshman left-hander Chris Scinta (3.78 ERA in 26 appearances). Best Offensive Team: Miami led the ACC with 112 homers. That’s second-most in school history behind the 1998 team that hit 139 dingers. Miami’s power this year is spread out as six players posted double-digit homers. Best Defensive Team: Louisiana has the best fielding percentage of the teams in this regional (.982), and catcher Julian Brock and shortstop Kyle DeBarge are quality defenders at key up the middle positions. No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 7. The Hurricanes have been outstanding at home this season with a 28-5 record, outscoring opponents 303-143. They are also 8-0 in home weekend series this year. Historically, the Canes have won 82.4 percent of their home regional games (89-19). Miami’s main rival in this regional, Texas, went 10-12 this year away from home. CORAL GABLES REGIONAL TEAM BREAKDOWNS Miami (40-19, 18-12 ACC) Miami’s Yohandy Morales (Shotgun Spratling) The Hurricanes – who made it to the ACC title game for the first time since 2012 — are a resilient bunch with four walk-off wins and seven victories in which they trailed after seven innings. They also won three games during which they trailed by at least five runs. Miami’s success is driven by its offense, especially third baseman Yohandy “Yo-Yo” Morales, who has 45 career homers, which ties him for fifth in program history with ex-MLB star Ryan Braun. Morales also has 229 career hits, the most by a Miami player since Yonder Alonso ended his college career with that same number in 2008. True freshman Blake Cyr was a breakout star this year at second base due to his dangerous bat. Cyr has hit 16 homers, which ranks fourth in program history among freshmen. Dominic Pitelli is the first Miami shortstop since Braun in 2003 to post at least 10 homers and 50 RBIs. First baseman CJ Kayfus is a dangerous leadoff batter, hitting .351 with 13 homers and a .463 on-base percentage. On the mound, Gage Ziehl (7-4, 4.61) is Miami’s top starter, but the Canes may be vulnerable after that, especially if Karson Ligon (3-1, 4.25) is not fully back from injury. However, the Canes have a late ace in closer Andrew Walters, who leads all active D1 pitchers in career ERA (1.36) and strikeouts per nine innings (15.1). His 25 career saves rank second among active closers. Texas (38-20, 15-9 Big 12) Texas lefty Lucas Gordon The Longhorns won six of their final seven weekend series before going 0-2 in the Big 12 tournament. Texas went 3-3 against teams in the Top 10 at the time of the games, including a weekend sweep over West Virginia to conclude the regular season. The Longhorns went 7-5 against Top-20 teams. Lucas Gordon (6-1, 2.55) and Lebarron Johnson Jr. (7-3, 2.82) lead a talented Texas rotation. Offensively, Texas was shut out 6-0 in its most recent game – a Big 12 tournament loss to Kansas State. Longhorns right fielder and three-hole hitter Dylan Campbell ranked third in the Big 12 in steals (25-for-28), and he ranks 11th in the league in batting average (.341). Campbell and two-hole hitter Peyton Powell ignite the Longhorns lineup when they are hot. Powell is fourth in the league in batting average (.358), and he is ninth in OPS (1.040). First baseman and leadoff batter Jared Thomas (.333), left fielder Porter Brown (.332), catcher and cleanup hitter Garret Guillemette (.310) and center fielder Eric Kennedy (.302, team-high 16 homers) are other Longhorns full-time starters batting over .300. Louisiana (40-22, 18-12 Sun Belt) The Ragin’ Cajuns lost in the Sun Belt Conference tournament final, 6-2, to Southern Miss. The Cajuns, though, beat host LSU, 8-5, in a mid-week game on April 18 when the Tigers were ranked No. 1 in the nation. The Cajuns last week also beat No. 10 national seed Coastal Carolina two straight times in the Sun Belt tournament. The Cajuns have made the NCAA regional field 18 times, including the past two years consecutively. But this is their first at-large bid since 2013. They have never played in a Coral Gables regional. However, the Cajuns have won a regional four times – 1999, 2000, 2014 and 2015. This year’s Cajuns team is led by catcher Julian Brock and shortstop Kyle DeBarge, who both made second-team All-Sun Belt. It’s the 10th straight year the Cajuns have placed multiple players on the All-Sun Belt team. Brock had a breakthrough regular season, setting career highs in batting average (.328), homers (11) and RBIs (59). He also started 56 of the Cajuns’ 58 games, showing amazing durability at a taxing position. DeBarge led the Cajuns in hitting (.357), and he finished second in on-base percentage (.437) and third in slugging (.532). He missed 13 games due to injury. However, since returning to the lineup, he has hits in 16 of the Cajuns’ 18 games. Maine (32-19, 19-5 America East) Maine’s Quinn McDaniel (Shotgun Spratling) The Black Bears won the America East tournament title, making the NCAA regional field for the first time since 2011. They led the league with a program-record 83 homers, finishing second in runs. They also stole 99 bases, five short of the program record. But the Bears (5.77 ERA) may not have enough front-line pitching to emerge out of Coral Gables. First baseman/three-hole hitter Jeremiah Jenkins led the league in batting average (.378), homers (20), RBIs (75), slugging percentage (.771) and OPS (1.277). He is the first America East player this century to hit 20-plus homers, and he is also the first America East player this century to drive in at least 75 runs. Second baseman/two-hole hitter Quinn McDaniel set the American East record with 60 walks. He has also slugged 16 homers, stolen 32 bases and posted a .520 on-base percentage. Shortstop/leadoff batter Jake Rainess, who also slugged 16 homers, led the league in steals (38-for-45). The Bears’ top pitcher is Gianni Gambardella, who led the league in ERA (2.91). Maine has shown it can hang with an ACC team, opening this season by winning two of three games from the Pitt Panthers, and their only loss in that set was 11-10. The Bears scored 29 runs in that series.
I didn’t realize putting visiting teams in Smith Hall was an option all these years? UK has dorms without AC? I thought all these campuses were resorts now to stick kids further in debt.
We can’t win the regional if we throw Vail game one. We’re not playing to win a game or two. It might not work out, but it’s our best chance to win our regional. That guy also has a 3.91 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in his last 6 appearances over 23 innings.
#Clemson Tigers #Tennessee Volunteers #Charlotte 49ers #Lipscomb Bisons Clemson Regional Preview: Red-hot Tigers draw dangerous challengers POSTSEASON Mike Rooney - June 1, 2023 Regional Scoreboard | Bracket Challenge Checking the Field 1. Clemson: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 2. Tennessee: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 3. Charlotte: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 4. Lipscomb: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders Spoiler Clemson Regional Superlatives Most Exciting Player: Cam Cannarella, CF, Clemson This 6-foot, 175-pound true freshman ignites the Tigers with his high energy approach. The lefthanded hitting Cannarella will lead off and play center field, and he led Erik Bakich’s club in hitting (.386) and runs scored (70). Best Hitter: Cam Fisher, RF, Charlotte Fisher is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound lefthanded hitter who enters regional play as the national leader with 30 home runs. He is a fourth-year junior who redshirted at Ole Miss in 2019 and then cut his teeth at Walters State CC in Tennessee. Fisher ran away with C-USA Tournament MVP honors as he hit six round trippers and drove in 13 in six games. Best Defensive Player: Jack Dragum, SS, Charlotte Dragum has made 177 career starts for the Niners. He has committed just 15 errors in those three seasons, good for a career fielding percentage of .974. Dragum is also the toughest at-bat in this Charlotte lineup. Best Pitcher: Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee We should all have “down years” like Dollander did in 2023. The 6-foot-2 righthander enters regional play with a 4.28 ERA over 14 starts and 73.2 innings. He punched out 107 hitters in 2023 and his fastball routinely runs into the upper-90s. He is a slam dunk top 10 pick for the MLB Draft in July and the arm talent is extraordinary. X-Factor: Caden Grice, 1B/LHP, Clemson For two seasons, Grice tantalized us with his extreme two-way talent. It all came together in 2023 and he may be the most important player in this regional. On the mound, he pitched to a 3.25 ERA over 13 starts. That included an 11.8 K/9 and .195 BAA. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound lefthander also contributed to the offense with 16 home runs and 63 RBIs. This is a scary dude. Best Starting Rotation: Tennessee At first blush, this may feel like a “potential over performance” pick. However, the Vols’ starting rotation of Andrew Lindsey, Dollander, and Drew Beam owns a combined ERA of 3.75. In today’s college baseball, that is exceptional. Lindsey, who has ascended to the role of Friday night arm, logged 81 innings for Charlotte in 2021 and he may face his former team in the opener. If this trio finds its stride, look out. Best Bullpen: Tennessee The Vols finished fourth in the nation with a 3.69 ERA. In many ways, the Tennessee bullpen outpitched its famous rotation. Lefthander Kirby Connell is a trusted veteran who made 30 appearances. His 14 innings pitched indicate a matchup role. Seth Halvorsen is a mid-90s righthander who can miss bats. Camden Sewell and Chase Burns are different in style but both righthanders can take the ball in the 5th inning and put a game to bed. 6-foot-6 freshman righthander AJ Russell flies under the radar but his numbers reflect sheer dominance (2-0, 0.98 ERA, 45 Ks, 27.2 IP, .103 BAA). Best Offensive Team: Clemson While Tennessee brings the higher scoring offense statistically (7.7 runs per game), the Clemson offensive found a different gear in the second half of the season. Their attack is multiple to use the football vernacular. There is plenty of power here, but the Tigers’ athleticism pays the bills. The Clemson running game (97 stolen bases) could play a big role in this regional. Best Defensive Team: Clemson The Tigers fielded .978 in 2023 but this group feels better than that number. Clemson’s uber-athletic outfield has range for days. The veteran middle infield of Ben Blackwell and Riley Bertram is as trustworthy as it gets. No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 5 Clemson is the hottest team in the country. The 2023 Vols are “the team after the team”. Charlotte offers power arms and power bats. Lipscomb played an eye-popping 14 games against SEC and ACC opponents. This could be a wild one. Clemson Regional Team Breakdowns Clemson (43-17, 20-10 in ACC) Clemson’s Caden Grice (Eric Sorenson) Clemson won just two of their first seven series to start the season. It feels like they haven’t lost since. In fact, the Tigers enter this regional on a 16-game winning streak. This group is best described as athletic and confident. Clemson is the most well-rounded team in this regional. Is that enough to overcome the Vols’ outrageous pitching talent? Tennessee (38-19, 16-14 in SEC) Chase Dollander (Tennessee photo) Tennessee entered 2023 ranked No. 2 nationally. There was an argument for them at No. 1. The growing pains for this position player group have been more significant than anticipated. Team defense has been an issue (fielding .963 in SEC play). Yet the talent on this roster is undeniable. Particularly on the mound. The Vols struggled mightily on the road (4-12), and this event will not be held in Knoxville. The Vols make this regional appointment television. Charlotte (34-26, 17-12 in C-USA) Charlotte’s Cam Fisher (Shotgun Spratling) Charlotte lost its opener in the C-USA Tournament before reeling off five straight wins to earn the league’s automatic bid. Head coach Robert Woodard brings an advanced approach to data and analytics. This roster is the manifestation of those beliefs. That means power arms and power bats. This group is extremely physical, and this program has been on the rise under Woodard and his excellent staff. Lipscomb (36-24, 23-7 in ASUN) Lipscomb’s Caleb Ketchup (Lipscomb Athletics) Lipscomb shortstop Caleb Ketchup may be the best name in the entire tournament. He’s also a tremendous player, entering the weekend with 16 bombs and 30 stolen bases. The Bisons won both the regular season and tournament championships in a very competitive Atlantic Sun. This group hit 106 home runs including 17 from Trace Willhoite, and 21 each from Austin Kelly and Alex Vergara. Ace Logan Van Treeck is a deceptive lefthander who punched out 101 hitters in 81.2 innings.
#Kentucky Wildcats #West Virginia Mountaineers #Indiana Hoosiers #Ball State Cardinals Lexington Regional Preview: It’s anybody’s ballgame POSTSEASON Burke Granger - June 1, 2023 Regional Scoreboard | Bracket Challenge Checking The Field After navigating the most difficult schedule in the country and sitting at #2 in the RPI, Kentucky is unquestionably deserving to host. That said, the Wildcats have dropped six of their last seven SEC series’ and made an early exit in Hoover last weekend. West Virginia looked like a likely regional host before dropping their final five games. Indiana is a balanced power five opponent, and Ball State is flying high after winning the MAC Tournament. 1. Kentucky: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 2. West Virginia: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 3. Indiana: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 4. Ball State: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders Spoiler Lexington Regional Superlatives Most Exciting Player: JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia. The Big-12 Player of the Year, Wetherholt has advanced bat-to-ball skills and is second in the country in batting average (.443). The athletic sophomore can beat you in a number of ways and is leading the conference in slugging (.778), OPS (1.290) and stolen bases (35). Best Hitter: Jackson Gray, CF, Kentucky. Objectively, Wetherholt is deserving of the nod here too, but let’s spread the love shall we? A transfer from Western Kentucky, Gray stumbled with the Hilltoppers last season (.710 OPS) but is slashing .363/.514/.580 with 19 stolen bases and a SEC-leading six triples this spring. Indiana first baseman Brock Tibbitts deserves a mention here too. After a slow start, the sophomore got hot during conference play and now leads the Hoosiers in average (.372), OBP (.465) and RBIs (66). Best Defensive Player: Ryan Peltier, 3B, Ball State The 2022 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Peltier became the first ACBA/Rawlings Gold Glove award recipient Ball State’s history last spring. Peltier also fuels the Cardinals offense, leading the team in hitting (.351), doubles (18) home runs (15), while leading the conference in runs scored (68) Honorable mention here goes to Emilien Pitre. He earned a spot on the SEC All-Defensive team after making just five errors and fielding at a .979 clip this spring. No slouch at the plate, Pitre’s hitting .337/.469/.440 with 15 doubles and he’s swiped 18 bags in 21 attempts. Best Pitcher: Ben Hampton, LHP, West Virginia A rotational stalwart for the Mountaineers, Hampton led the Cape Cod League in strikeouts last summer and carried the momentum into the spring by going 5-3, 4.17 in route to All Big-12 honors. After working primarily in the mid-80s last season, his velocity has ticked up slightly this season (touching 90 mph) and he shows hitters two quality breaking pitches. Indiana’s Luke Sinnard (6-3, 4.16) is deserving of a mention here as well. A 6-foot-8 righthander who works downhill from a high slot, the Western Kentucky transfer is one punchout away from Indiana’s single season record (110). X-Factor: Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Taylor didn’t crack the Hoosiers lineup until Mid-March, after Indiana had traveled Auburn and Texas to kick off the spring. Taylor put up big numbers in conference play, and I’m excited to see how he’ll perform on a big stage in this tournament. Despite the delayed start, Taylor leads the Hoosiers in homeruns (16), OPS (1.100) and slugging (.661). Best Starting Rotation: West Virginia The aforementioned Hampton combined with Blaine Traxel make up a solid 1-2 punch for the Mountaineers. A grad transfer from Cal State Northridge, Traxel arrived in Morgantown with a deluge of collegiate experience under his belt and its paid dividends for the Mountaineers. A 5-foot-10 righthander, Traxel doesn’t light up the radar gun, but he’s an innings eater who relentlessly pounds the zone and he’s tied for the national lead in complete games (5). Strikes and stamina are two attributes that play up in June. Freshman Robby Porco is a 6-foot-8 fireballer showed glimpses of promise in the Sunday role in the second half, peaking with a 12-strikeout performance in early April against Kansas. Best Bullpen: Kentucky. The Wildcats are fifth in the SEC in team ERA (4.33) and the bullpen is a big part of that. Though he’s started a handful of games including one in Hoover last weekend, sixth-year righthander Darren Williams (4-2, 2 SV) has had success in a multi-inning reliever role. His best pitch is a 79-83 mph slider with spin up to 2800 rpms. Closer Mason Moore (2-1, 2.42, 4 SVs) is a ground ball machine, and lefty Evan Byers (1-0, 1.20) is holding hitters to a paltry .182 batting average. Ryan Hagenow (2-1, 3.48) has made tremendous strides year-over-year, cutting his walk rate drastically while punching out 30 hitters in 20.2 innings. Magdiel Cotto (1-0, 6.19) has a live arm but the results have been inconsistent. DIII transfer (Sewanee) Logan Martin started the year as Kentucky’s Friday starter and threw pretty well. After missing time with an injury, he’s being eased back in the bullpen where his bat-missing slider could be used to get the Cats out of a jam this weekend. Best Offensive Team: West Virginia The Mountaineers are balanced on offense. The lineup gets on base at a high clip (.414) while showcasing an appealing mix of speed and pop. Wetherholt is having a Golden Spikes type season, but West Virginia has three other guys with double digit homeruns and are second in the Big 12 in stolen bases (122). Best Defensive Team: Kentucky. Tied for first in the country in fielding percentage (.984), the Wildcats are athletic up the middle. Pitre is a standout defender, and Gray has the speed and instincts to run down balls in either gap. First baseman Hunter Gilliam can really pick it around the bag at first. He joined Pitre on the SEC All-Defensive team. No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 5 This is a balanced regional and it wouldn’t shock me to see any of these four teams advance. It’s no secret that Kentucky has struggled of late, but so have the Mountaineers who let a hosting opportunity slip through their fingers. Indiana has one of the better position player groups in the Big Ten but have struggled to find consistency in the rotation behind Sinnard. Ball State is an experienced, well-coached club who’s looking to open some eyes after just missing out on a regional the last two seasons. Lexington Regional Team Breakdowns Kentucky (36-18, 16-14 SEC) Kentucky’s Jackson Gray (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos) The Wildcats last made the tournament in 2017 – the first year of the Nick Mingione era – when they hosted and won a regional before falling to in-state rival Louisville in Supers. This time, they’ll be able to show off the state-of-the-art Kentucky Proud Park, which was built in 2019. Offensively, Kentucky is a bit atypical compared to the rest of the SEC. The Wildcats are last in the conference in homeruns (45) and total bases (785) and aren’t afraid to play “small ball”. They have the sixth most sacrifice bunts in the country (53), which is more than twice as many as any other team in the SEC. Speedster Jackson Gray sets the tone at the top of the order. Hunter Gilliam (.330/.432/.567) is the only Wildcat hitter with double digit home runs (11). With plus speed and below average pop, Emilien Pitre is an unorthodox cleanup hitter but his 15 doubles and 46 RBIs are both tied for second best on the team. Devin Burkes is an athletic backstop runs well for a catcher (8-11 SB) and leads the team in doubles (16). Jase Felker (19-23 SB) and Ryan Waldschmidt (17-18 SB) are threats to swipe a base. On the mound, senior Zack Lee (5-2, 3.58) has been consistently solid this season in sequencing his three-pitch mix. Redshirt freshman righthander Travis Smith (4-3, 5.28) has been taking the ball on Fridays of late. He’s flashed considerable potential this season but has struggled in his last two starts. Tyler Bosma (4-4, 5.61) is a fifth-year, pitchabilty, mid-80s lefthander who’s been struggling over the last month. The aforementioned bullpen is a strength for the Wildcats. West Virginia (39-18, 15-9 Big 12) WVU’s Tevin Tucker (Shotgun Spratling) West Virginia won a share of the Big 12 regular season title, vaulting the Mountaineers to their third regional in the tenure of head coach Randy Mazey. JJ Wetherholt (.443/.512/.778) is one of the best players in the country. Junior left fielder Landon Wallace (.323/.462/.575, 17 SB) is a transfer from Nevada with good speed and a gap-to-gap approach. Tevin Tucker (.319/.467/.411, 19 SB) is an igniter at the top of the lineup with a discerning eye at the plate and the speed to cause havoc on the base paths. Center fielder Braden Barry (.294/.385/.516) is a twitchy athlete who provides speed and pop in the cleanup spot. He’s second on the team behind Wetherholt in doubles (19) and stolen bases (22). Sophomore Grant Hussey (.954 OPS, 13 HR) is a middle of the order bat with some swing-and-miss in the profile, but he’s got big raw power from the left side. Additionally, he gets high marks for his glove work around the bag at first base. Ben Hampton (5-3, 4.17) and Blaine Traxel (7-5, 3.79) give the Mountaineers two battle tested starting options, but the bullpen is on par with Kentucky in this regional field. Converted starter Carlson Reed (2-1, 1.50, 7 SV) can run his heater up to the mid-90s and has blossomed into an All-Conference stopper. Righthander David Hagaman (1-2, 3.06) is a lanky, projectable righthander who’s punching out more than a hitter per inning while holding hitters to a .179 average. Sophomore Aidan Major (3-2, 5.44, 2 SV) is a power-armed righthander and consistent strike thrower who can get a strikeout in high leverage situations. Indiana (41-18, 16-8 Big Ten) Indiana’s Luke Sinnard (Indiana Athletics) With a younger position player group and some uncertainty on the mound heading into the year, I thought the Hoosiers might be a year away from competing, but they’ve been consistently one of the best teams in the Big Ten for much of the spring. This is the second regional in four tries under head coach Jeff Mercer, who took the Hoosiers to a regional in 2019 and previously guilded Wright State to the tournament in 2018. Fifth-year shortstop Phillip Glasser (.351/.443/.508) is a steady defender with range at the six-spot, and he sets the tone at the top of the order. He has more walks (35) than strikeouts (28) while leading the Hoosiers in doubles (19) and stolen bases (14). Brock Tibbitts (1.070 OPS, 10 HR) and Devin Taylor (.317/.439/.661, 16 HR) are two of the most dangerous hitters in this regional. Carter Mathison (.962 OPS, 9 HR) broke Indiana’s freshman single-season home run record last season with 19. After stumbling out of the gate this spring, he’s been hot down the stretch. Like Mathison, sophomore third baseman Josh Pyne (.807 OPS) got off to a slow start but heated up in conference play. He’s capable of making highlight reel plays at the hot corner, and his 54 RBIs are good for second on the team. Tyler Cerny earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team after hitting .280/.349/.502 with 10 home runs. Veteran catcher Peter Serruto does a good job of controlling the running game and has made strides at the plate. Luke Sinnard (6-3, 4.16) has been one of the best starters in the Big Ten this year. Tacoma Community College transfer Seti Manase (2-2, 2.73) is almost being used as an opener, having started 13 games but rarely getting the opportunity to see the lineup a third time through the order. He’s a 6-foot-3 righthander who sits in the 87-90 mph range and he’ll show hitters a healthy dose of sliders. Conversely, lefthander Ryan Kraft (6-1, 2.51, 5 SV) is second on the team in innings (57.1) despite working almost exclusively out of the pen. He hasn’t pitched since May 18th, and his status for this weekend is uncertain. With a fastball I’ve seen up to 95 and a slider with 3000 spin, senior reliever Craig Yoho (4-1, 3.38) has some of the nastiest stuff in this group. Ball State (36-21, 19-11 Mid-American) After averaging 39 wins and producing four draft picks in the top five rounds over the last three seasons, Ball State might be the best team in the country during that stretch to not make a regional. This is the first regional for the Cardinals since 2006, although veteran skipper Rich Maloney is no stranger to the postseason, having brought Michigan to four straight regionals from 2005-2008. Senior third baseman Ryan Peltier (1.086 OPS, 15 HR) leads the Cardinals on both sides of the ball. Senior shortstop Adam Tellier (.319/.398/.515) joins Peltier to make a formidable left side of the infield and not many balls get between the two. Decker Schefler is a smooth swinging outfielder who was First Team All-MAC after finishing third in the conference in batting (.388), 10th in slugging (.617) and fourth in OBP (.464). Freshman first baseman Blake Bevis (.873 OPS, 11 HR) is a bit of a free swinger, but there’s righthanded power in the profile. Hunter Dobbins has struggled at the plate this season, but he’s been recognized for the glove work behind the dish, earning All-Defensive Team honors in the MAC. Trennor O’Donnell (5-3, 2.98) is a 6-foot-7 righthander who’s coming off his best appearance of the season, allowing one unearned run and punching out eight in a complete game gem against Kent State in the MAC tournament. Ty Johnson (4-2, 3.81) gets downhill from a 6-foot-6 frame. He’s reportedly seen an uptick in velocity after sitting in the 87-91 mph range earlier in the spring. Ryan Brown (4-1, 4.76) was unhittable out of the gate this season but has battled injuries and inconsistency for much of the spring. After making two appearances in the MAC tournament – one good, one not so good – he’s a bit of a wildcard heading into this weekend. Righthanded reliever Sam Klein (7-2, 2 SV) has been a key cog in the Cardinals bullpen after missing the first month of the season with an injury.
Seems like Ball State is the best school in that group by a large amount and probably should have been the #1 seed. Most handsome prognosticators would have had #1 Ball U #2 WVU #3 Kaintuck #4 Notre Dame Football Best school calculations based upon average penis size, quality of pizza in the surrounding area, and just overall coolness.
As someone who just paid for my daughters freshman year in the dorms and tuition, can confirm I’m also taking donations to aid my terrible drinking habit while looking at tuition and housing bills
Our head coach, like the fucking moron that he is, is starting our ace Friday against Maine, because he doesn’t like mixing up the rotation and wants to “save the bullpen for later”. I was worried that we weren’t going to be able to get out of our regional, but now I’m fairly confident that Texas is going to win it.
It’s always a tough call. I see both strategies being correct. We go by the same philosophy of keep the rotation in order and save bullpen for the weekend. Not a bad thing, but if you can win game 1 and have your ace on Saturday against a tougher opponent then that’s dope too. Tough decision to make for sure
1999 being the 50th anniversary and only having 1 game to decide it still pisses me the fuck off And yes it's 100% because we lost the game
Wanted us to throw a combo of midweek guys aiming for 4 or so innings apiece but it’ll be #3 starter Caglianone. Hope the weather cooperates.
It’s just as tough if you win the first game and lose the second game, is it not? Puts you in a position where you have to win both games of a doubleheader on Sunday regardless right? It’s my opinion that the second game you play is undoubtedly more important. If you’re trying to save the bullpen, you put your team in the best position to win both of the first two games, and therefore only require your team to win one more game to advance from the regional.
Anyone else interested in the bracket challenge? I’ve sent out a bunch of invites, but there’s apparently been some issues with them getting through to the recipients. If you’re supposed to get one and haven’t yet, let me know. If you want to join in, send me your email so I can send the invite.
#Oklahoma State Cowboys #Dallas Baptist Patriots #Washington Huskies #Oral Roberts Golden Eagles Stillwater Regional Preview: Balanced field provides challenge for Pokes POSTSEASON Kendall Rogers - June 1, 2023 Regional Scoreboard | Louisville Slugger Bracket Challenge Checking The Field Oklahoma State finished the spring in a three-way tie for the Big 12 Championship and possesses a potent offensive lineup, while No. 2 seed Dallas Baptist heads into the regional with something to prove after being left out of a regional host despite having a Top 15 RPI. Washington is in a regional in Jason Kelly’s first season as head coach, while Oral Roberts is one of the field’s most dangerous No. 4 seeds with Matt Hogan, Jonah Cox and others leading the way. 1. Oklahoma State: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 2. Dallas Baptist: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 3. Washington: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 4. Oral Roberts: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders Spoiler Stillwater Regional Superlatives Most Exciting Player: Roc Riggio. I mean, who else? Riggio is one of those dynamic players in our sport that when he steps to the plate, you pay attention. Riggio, a 5-foot-9, 179-pounder, shows a lot of emotion and is a key leader for the Pokes. But even more important, Riggio is a hard-nosed player who plays outstanding defense at second base to go with an elite offensive approach. Riggio can do it all, hitting .343 with 17 doubles, 17 homers and 60 RBIs, along with a 1.156 OPS. Best Hitter: There are several high-impact hitters in this regional. Nolan Schubart from Oklahoma State comes to mind, as does Dallas Baptist’s Grant Jay. However, we’re giving the nod here to do-it-all Oral Roberts outfielder Jonah Cox. Cox is having a sensational season for the Golden Eagles, hitting .422 with 16 doubles, eight triples, nine home runs and 58 RBIs. Additionally, he has stolen 26 bases for the Golden Eagles. Best Defensive Player: Jonah Cox, Oral Roberts. It’s not every day that you see an outfielder as the premier defender in a regional, but I think I’ve counted three or four times this season that Cox’s defense has been on display in our top plays of the week package. For that reason alone, he’s our headliner in this department. Best Pitcher: Ryan Johnson, RHP, Dallas Baptist. Johnson is one of the more intriguing arms I’ve seen this season. Johnson is a 6-foot-6, 215-pounder, who attacks hitters from a funky angle and with incredibly quick arm action. Johnson will get up to 94-95 mph with his fastball, but he pitches with more command at 92-93 mph. The talented righty also has a solid 79-82 mph sweepy slider, along with a changeup at 87-88 mph. He’s an uncomfortable look for any team. X-Factor: Juaron Watts-Brown, Oklahoma State. If the Pokes are going to be had at home in this tournament, it will be because the pitching staff didn’t hold up its end of the bargain. With a couple of key bullpen arms banged up, the Pokes desperately need a strong start from the talented righthanded pitcher this weekend. Watts-Brown has been up and down throughout the spring, but he’s a guy who has the ability to put together a dominant start. It’s high-end stuff. Best Starting Rotation: This is a tough call between DBU and Washington, but give me the Huskies with the trio of Jared Engman, Kiefer Lord and Stu Flesland. Engman has a wealth of experience, Flesland has been terrific at times this season with just 24 walks in 85 innings of work and Lord is the most talented pitcher of the trio with a fastball into the mid-90s with just 17 walks in 72.1 innings of work. Best Bullpen: Dallas Baptist. The one thing about the Patriots that makes them ultra scary in this type of tournament format is their ability to matchup on the mound late in games. The Pats have the ability to turn the game over to one of the best in the business in Kyle Amendt, who has worked in 22 games this season and who has 49 strikeouts in 24.2 innings. Zane Russell, Brady Rose and Alec Baker are other solid bullpen options. Best Offensive Team: Oklahoma State. Oral Roberts might have the highest batting average of any team in this tournament field, but give me the hard-hitting Cowboys at home. OSU has one of the premier freshmen in the country in Nolan Schubart as the leading hitter, while Roc Riggio, Tyler Wulfert, Carson Benge, Chase Adkison and David Mendham are all big-time contributors. Marcus Brown is scrappy as well, while Colin Brueggemann and Nolan McLean bring some solid power to the table. Zach Ehrhard is another solid bat, while even Aidan Meola got in on the action at the Big 12 tournament with a home run. OSU has three hitters with 14 or more homers. Best Defensive Team: Oral Roberts. The Golden Eagles have one of the nation’s premier outfielders in speedy Jonah Cox, and the team as a whole plays outstanding defense. As a matter of fact, ORU ranks third nationally in fielding percentage at a .983 clip. No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 6. Oklahoma State’s offense is as scary as it gets, but would it be surprising to see someone like DBU or Washington come out of this regional? Absolutely not. Washington finished in the top three in the Pac-12 and Dallas Baptist had a solid case to host a regional — at least as much of a case as Indiana State. The Pokes will need to be hitting on all cylinders to take this regional. Stillwater Regional Team Breakdowns Oklahoma State (41-18, 15-9 Big 12) The Cowboys entered the season with high hopes, and they haven’t disappointed, winning the Big 12 Conference regular season crown and hosting yet another NCAA Regional in Stillwater. While the pitching staff has been a constant construction zone because of injuries, the Pokes do have some front-line talent on the mound with Juaron Watts-Brown, Nolan McLean, Isaac Stebens and others. Meanwhile, the offensive lineup is one of the best in the business for Josh Holliday’s club. The Cowboys have multiple sluggers with double digit home runs, and Nolan Schubart, who has such an impressive frame, has established himself as one of the nation’s premier hitters in his first season. Schubart has 16 home runs and 73 RBIs. Tyler Wulfert and Carson Benge are both talented hitters as well, hitting .335 with nine homers and seven homers, respectively, and I particularly love the fact that Benge can help this team both on the mound, at the plate, and in the outfield. He’s truly a Swiss-Army knife type of player. Chase Adkison is a steady presence behind and at the plate, while I really liked what I saw from David Mendham at the Big 12 tournament. Mendham has a steady offensive approach, and hits for some serious power with 18 doubles, 14 home runs and 61 RBIs this season. Premium depth is the name of the game for this OSU offense. From a pitching standpoint, the Cowboys are somewhat of an odd team. They don’t have a ‘bad’ pitching staff per se, but the results don’t match the talent at times. Juaron Watts-Brown is up to 93-94 mph with his fastball, but his success is very much predicated on his ability to command the slider. Nolan McLean is back from an injury that sidelined him earlier this season, and pitching coach Rob Walton really likes him as a starting pitcher. Ben Abram is a hard-nosed righthanded pitcher with durability and decent stuff, while the bullpen has some solid options with Stebens, Bayden Root and Gabe Davis leading the charge. Stebens has a filthy slider to go with a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s, Blake is a talented lefty with a fastball up to 93-94, and Davis caught my attention at Globe Life last weekend with a fastball up to 96-97 mph. Oklahoma State reached the Stillwater Regional final last season, and fell just short against Arkansas. Now, the Pokes look to finish the job and get to the Super Regional round. Dallas Baptist (45-14, 25-5 Conference USA) It has been a treat to watch the evolution of this DBU club. Back in the fall when I was doing the DBU Fall Report, head coach Dan Heefner had some questions about this year’s team. He felt like this season, perhaps a bit more than others, had a bit more uncertainty. Despite that, the Pats proceeded to have yet another strong campaign that ended with a C-USA title while also being in the mix for a regional host. The name of the game with this DBU club is balance. DBU can hit, it can hit for power, and there’s more than enough high-level arms to make a run to the College World Series. From an offensive standpoint, the Pats have five everyday hitters with an average north of .300. Athletic and powerful Nate Humphreys leads the way with a .359 average, 14 doubles, 12 homers and 48 RBIs, while Grant Jay and Ethan Mann are imposing forces in the box. The duo has combined for 41 homers this season. Jace Grady is another athletic specimen in this lineup. He has 12 homers and 39 RBIs, and he can also make things happen on the basepaths with 22 stolen bases. Kodie Kolden and Miguel Santos are two more hitters to watch. Kolden ranks second on the team in hitting and has swiped 20 bases this season, while Santos is yet another base-stealing threat in this lineup with some big-time power potential. What makes this DBU lineup special is their ability to beat you a variety of ways. The Patriots bring a lot to the table from a pitching standpoint as well. We discussed Ryan Johnson above, but he’s such a unique look for any opposing team, and he does that funk with a fastball up to 95 mph, along with a nasty, sweepy slider. Braxton Bragg is another talented arm on this staff. Bragg has a powerful arm with a fastball into the mid-90s, and has 82 strikeouts to go with 17 walks in 78.1 innings of work, while Zach Heaton is yet another quality arm. Heaton has 52 strikeouts in 63 innings, so the ability to consistently command his stuff is paramount to his success. Stud closer Kyle Amendt, along with Brady Rose, Zane Russell, Jaron DeBerry and Alec Baker are the key pieces from a bullpen standpoint. Amendt is a talented 6-foot-5, 235-pounder, who has some serious funk and angle to his pitches and has an impressive 12-6 curveball. Russell is a talented arm who is up to 93-95 mph with his fastball, while DeBerry is an arm that reminds Heefner of former DBU standout pitcher Rhett Kouba. Washington (34-18, 17-12 Pac-12) What the Huskies have accomplished in Jason Kelly’s first season is rather remarkable. The Huskies entered the season as an Omaha sleeper, and they lived up to that billing for much of the season, finishing in the top three in the Pac-12 Conference, and doing so with a balanced roster. From an offensive standpoint, the Huskies have five sluggers that would qualify as consistent with some definite power production potential. The ringleader of this group is first baseman Will Simpson, who’s having a monster season with big-time power — he has 18 homers and has knocked in 56 runs for the Huskies this season. AJ Guerrero is one of the best overall players in college baseball and leads the team with a .341 average to go with eight homers and 37 RBIs, while Coby Morales, Cam Clayton and Michael Snyder are all guys with double digit home runs. I’d also keep a close eye on catcher Johnny Tincher, who in addition to his prowess behind the plate, is also a consistent offensive producer with 10 homers and 46 RBIs. On the mound, the Huskies have a solid trio of starting pitchers in Stu Flesland, Jared Engman and Kiefer Lord. Flesland was up to 95 mph with his fastball during fall workouts and has been sitting low-90s with his fastball this spring. He has been the most ‘consistent’ starting pitcher for the Huskies. If you’re familiar with some former UW arms, he reminds Kelly of former pitching standout Joe DeMers. Meanwhile, Lord is an ultra-talented arm who has been well into the mid-90s with his fastball, while Engman is up to 92-93 mph with his sinking fastball. From a bullpen standpoint, keep an eye on Case Matter, Grant Cunningham, Josh Emanuels, Reilly McAdams and Sam Boyle. Emanuels has been up to 93-94 mph with his fastball, while McAdams is anywhere from 89-92 and up to 93 mph with his fastball. All of those arms plus Cunningham have made 20-plus appearances out of the bullpen this season. We will see how the Huskies fare in this regional, but this is a battle-tested team who finished near the top of the Pac-12 Conference. This is not an easy out as a No. 3 seed. They’re dangerous. Oral Roberts (46-11, 23-1 Summit) This is the No. 4 seed that Oklahoma State fans openly said they didn’t want to see for good reason. Oral Roberts has already given the Cowboys all they can handle this season, and it is a dangerous club entering the weekend in Stillwater. Eric Folmar does a terrific job with this ORU program, and it is headlined by one of the nation’s premier offensive lineups. If you look up and down the ORU lineup, you’ll see a lot of players with batting averages over .300. Jonah Cox is the headliner with a .422 average, 16 doubles, eight triples and nine home runs. And oh yeah, he also has 26 stolen bases. But the guy I’m most intrigued to see this weekend is Vanderbilt and South Carolina kickback Matt Hogan. Hogan never got enough at bats to make a serious impact at either place, but has found a great home in Tulsa. He’s having a monster season at the plate, hitting .344 with 11 doubles, three triples, 16 homers and 63 RBIs. Furthermore, he might have 57 strikeouts, but he also has 46 walks and 10 hit by pitches. Blaze Brothers and Mac McCroskey are exciting players as well — the two have hit double digit home runs to go with double digit stolen bases, while Holden Breeze and Jake McMurray are both guys with a steady presence in the lineup. On the mound, Brooks Fowler, Harley Gollert, Jakob Hall and Joshua Carvalho are all guys who have started important games this spring. Fowler has a 2.81 ERA in 67.1 innings of work to go with a plus fastball and a good splitter, while Hall has a 3.35 ERA in 86 innings, and possess impeccable command. He’s a strike-thrower with feel for three pitches. Meanwhile, Carvalho has started 10 games and appeared in 15 and has a 2.98 ERA in 51.1 innings, and Gollert has appeared in 15 games (14 starts) and has a 3.27 ERA in 82.2 innings of work. From a bullpen standpoint, ORU has a pair of studs in Cade Denton and Jacob Widener. Denton has appeared in 28 games and has a 1.60 ERA in 50.2 innings (12 saves), while Widener has appeared in 26 games and has a 2.74 ERA in 42.2 innings of work. Also keep an eye on Dalton Patten and Caleb Isaacs, who have a combined 47 appearances, and each have solid command of multiple offerings.
#Stanford Cardinal #Texas AandM Aggies #Texas AandM Aggies alt #Cal State Fullerton Titans #San Jose State Spartans Stanford Regional Preview: Cardinal going for fourth straight regional title POSTSEASON Eric Sorenson - June 1, 2023 Regional Scoreboard | Bracket Challenge Checking The Field Having a Regional at Sunken Diamond has become a yearly event out West as the eighth-seeded Cardinal will play host to three other teams in one of my favorite settings in all of college baseball. Postseason regulars Texas A&M will be a formidable challenge with their experience of making it to Omaha last year and Fullerton returns to postseason play for the first time in five years. San Jose State is in the Big Dance for the first time since 2002, when the legendary Sam Piraro was still stalking the dugout. 1. Stanford: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 2. Texas A&M: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 3. Cal State Fullerton: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 4. San Jose State: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders Spoiler Stanford Regional Superlatives Most Exciting Player: Tommy Troy, 3B, Stanford Talk about a dude who can do it all, and he has done it all in his long Stanford career (I mean, he seems like he’s been on the Farm for seven years). He’s got a .394 average with 14 dingers and is 17-for-18 in stolen bases. Another reason to keep an eye on him? He loves the postseason. During last year’s run to Omaha he hit .500 (21-for-42) and scored 12 runs to go along with five doubles and five home runs. Best Hitter: Alberto Rios, LF, Stanford The St. John Bosco product had a grand total of seven at bats in his first two seasons on the Farm. He started this season on the bench in their opening game of the season vs. Fullerton but soon was inserted into the lineup and finished the last two games of that series by going 4-for-9. From there he has caught lightning in a bottle, leading the Trees with a .403 average and 17 home runs. On top of that, with his 34 walks and 11 plunkings factored in Rios has a .506 on-base percentage. Best Defensive Player: Tommy Troy, 3B, Stanford Yep, that man Double-T again. But there is a reason why he is both the most exciting player and the best defensive player. And that is that he is ranked as the ninth-best MLB prospect in the country. That’s why he and Drew Bowser switched positions from second-base to third-base and vice-versa this season. As mentioned above, he has made just seven errors on the season and has acclimated to the position with aplomb. Best Pitcher: Quinn Mathews, LHP, Stanford This one is a little tricky because there aren’t exactly a bastion of cracker jack pitchers in this Regional. And Mathews hasn’t posted mind-blowing numbers (7-4, 3.87) but he’s the second highest rated pitcher in this Regional (No. 94 in the latest Top 150 prospects list, second to No. 75, A&M’s Nathan Dettmer) and he also has posted 124 strikeouts on the season. X-Factor: If a hot pitcher emerges. If you look at the team ERAs in this Regional – 5.99, 5.57, 4.94 and 5.76 respectively – you get the idea that this will probably be a very offensive Regional. There are a number of good pitchers on these teams’ rosters but not a lot of them have posted very good numbers this season. Something tells me that whichever team has a starter throw a complete game or has a reliever that can shut down a team (or two) for an extended number of innings will help their team win this Regional. Best Starting Rotation: Stanford The Cardinal barely beat out the staffs of all three starting rotations. In fact this seems more like a crap-shoot for the Boys from Palo Alto as they have shown some struggles at times this season. But Quinn Mathews, Matt Scott and Joey Dixon have the ability to be dominating at times, though their ERAs are 3.97, 4.68 and 4.97 respectively. Best Bullpen: Stanford. This one isn’t a big “win” for the Cardinal because none of these bullpens will strike fear in ya’. But if we’re being honest the Boys from Palo Alto have the most potential for dominating (Again that word “potential” here). Specifically, Drew Dowd (9-2, 4.80), Ryan Bruno (2-1, 5.16) and Brandt Pancer (2-1, 5.17) have all gotten better as the season has gone along and improved their numbers. If they pitch up to snuff, this would be a shut-down case, no doubt. Best Offensive Team: Stanford This one is a no-brainer. The Cardinal are stocked with future professional lumberjacks that hit .317 as a team, good for 12th nationally. An opposing coach told me that the top six in the batting order will all be playing professional ball in the years ahead. A&M hits .269 as a team. Fullerton hits 274 as a team. San Jose hits 284 as a team. Again, a no-brainer. Best Defensive Team: Texas A&M Going purely by numbers, the Aggies have the best fielding percentage at .980 and the lowest error total, having committed just 44 Es on the season. None of the other three even come close. No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 7. Stanford Regional Team Breakdowns Stanford (38-16, 23-7 in Pac-12) Alberto Rios celebrates his go-ahead grand slam against UCLA (Aaron Fitt) This will be the sixth straight Regional hosting position for the Cardinal program (and FYI; in those five previous Regionals, there has yet to be a rainout or a lightning delay). Coach Dave Esquer has put together another collection of future professional baseball players both on the mound and in the field. And that’s why the Cardinal are the favorites here. They have the best offense in the Regional and have the best collection of arms as well. The offense has six hitters who have double-digit home run totals as we enter the NCAAs. Obviously Tommy Troy is the bellcow with his All American performance so far, but he is also far from the only threat as we talked about how well Rios is hitting (.403-17-66), along with sluggers like Eddie Park (.330-5-41), Braden Montgomery (.330-15-54). Owen Cobb (.321-6-31), Malcom Moore (.312-12-54) and big time power-stick Carter Graham (.326-15-70) helping give this offense one of the more intimidating orders in the country. The arms corps is usually a strength and still has a bunch of veteran arms that should pitch better than their numbers in Quinn Mathews (7-4, 3.87), Joey Dixon (6-0, 4.87), Nick Dugan (0-0, 8.15) and Matt Scott (5-3, 4.68), who combined for 42 starts. The only thing is this year’s collection of hurlers have been far more inconsistent than in past years. If they can pull together and pitch to their capabilities, it’s national title or bust for these boys. The bullpen has really rounded into form down the stretch, led by power-armed lefties Ryan Bruno and Drew Dowd. Texas A&M (36-25, 14-16 in SEC) Jack Moss, Texas A&M (A&M photo) All coach Jim Schlossnagle did in his first season in Aggie Land was lead the Maroons to a berth in the College World Series last June. Not bad, right? Well his magic touch in the postseason continued this season as witnessed by the Aggies’ run in the SEC Tournament, which essentially solidified their inclusion to the NCAA Tournament and moved them up to a two-seed in the process. To say that Jack Moss is the straw that stirs the drink for this offense is an understatement as he leads the team with a .361 average and with 14 doubles (Hunter Haas is the next closest and only other hitter going .300-plus at .316-10-39). Though they have the lowest batting average in the field, there is plenty of reason for their sticks to be feared as they have blasted 81 home runs, led by freshman Jace LaViolette’s 19 round-trippers and Trevor Werner’s 14. The Aggies have also stolen 90 bases, which was the most in the SEC. So this is a diversified offense that will be a tough draw for anyone who faces it. Mound-wise, don’t put too fine a point on their slightly-high 5.57 team ERA because you have to keep in mind they were facing the LSU’s, the Florida’s and the Alabama’s of the world in conference play. The strength of this staff is in the bullpen where Evan Aschenbeck (8-1, 3.63) and Shane Sdao (3-1, 4.78) have combined for 44 appearances and 99.2 innings of work. RHP Nathan Dettmer was expected to be an All-SEC/1st-round draftee type this season but has had his struggles, with a 6.34 ERA and the Ags have lost games in five of the last six starts he’s had. But he possesses a big arm (hit 99 last fall) and features a devastating sinker ball. He’s joined in the rotation by LHP Tory Wansing (3-3, 4.83 in 13 starts). Cal State Fullerton (31-22, 20-10 in Big West) Cal State Fullerton’s Zach Lew (Eric Sorenson) Ah, it’s good to see the Titans back in the postseason. All seems right with the world again when the boys from Orange County make their presence felt in our college baseball world. The Titans finished Big West play at 20-10 and in second place in the conference behind UC San Diego’s 21-9. But the Tritons were still ineligible for the NCAA Tournament as they are transitioning from D2, so the Titans got the drop for the Big Dance. This will be the Titans first appearance in the Field of 64 since 2018, which was also their last 30-plus win season. Typical of the Titans, they pitch and play good defense as the team ERA of 4.94 is the best in the Stanford Regional field. Starters Tyler Stultz and Evan Yates pace the weekend work with 4.53 and 3.57 ERAs respectively. Both can really pound the zone and change speeds well, Stultz from the left side and Yates from the right. If they get in trouble, Jojo Ingrassia (5-2, 2.63, seven saves) and Peyton Jones (5-1, 3.53) have combined to make 47 appearances. When it comes to the gloves and the bats, this is an uber-experienced group with names that have been around a number of seasons, led by Caden Connor (.333-4-40) and Carter White (.332) getting the wheels started. Also, vets like Nate Nankil (.307-5-38) and Zach Lew (.280-7-43) provide some pop. Oh and keep in mind that catcher Cole Urman is really solid and opponents have only stolen 24 bases off the Titans this season. Lastly, this is a team that beat Stanford on the opening weekend and also played them to a 10-inning game and a couple weeks later won a series vs. Texas, so they won’t be wide-eyed going into this Regional. San Jose State (31-25, 18-11 in MWC) San Jose State’s Charles McAdoo (Eric Sorenson) I’ve said it before and I’ll start this preview by saying it again; Brad Sanfilippo has done one of the best jobs at turning a program around in all of college baseball. In 2021 the Spartans won six games (6). Then last year they went 30-29 and this season they have gone a step further by winning 31 games and making the NCAA Tournament as the Mountain West champions. That’s good stuff, people. Way back in the fall when I went to their scrimmage at Stanford, the Cardinal head coach Dave Esquer came over to me and pointed at the Spartan dugout and said, “That’s a really good batting order they’ve got over there.” And well, coach wasn’t wrong. The top talent on the field is second baseman Charles McAdoo, who is a top five round draft prospect and hit .322-8-45 this season. His 19 doubles is tied for best on the team with Robert Hamchuk (.302-6-36) and Jack Colette (.302-6-39). The top two hitters in the order are Theo Hardy and Hunter Dorraugh, who hit .337 and .336 respectively so far this season. Dorraugh adds 10 home runs and a team-best 45 RBI to his stat sheet. Also watch for Dalton Bowling (.296), who leads the squad with 11 circuit-clouts. Pitching-wise, there is also experience galore here as they are led by Jonathan Clark (4-4, 4.50) and Micky Thompson (3-5, 4.52), a redshirt senior and redshirt junior respectively and are the two most-used pitchers on the roster. San Diego State transfer Aaron Eden (2-4, 5.84) and Washington State transfer Ethan Ross (3-1, 8.49) haven’t quite had the seasons they wanted but are experienced arms that can be used if the Spartans make a run here. Also, Michigan transfer Jack White has been a real shot in the arm to this bullpen, posting team-best numbers 6-2, 2.63 in his 48 innings of work.
Five in, but I’ve sent over thirty invites. I’m having to resend a bunch of them because they didn’t go through the first time around. Several have said they’ll fill it out tonight. I’m guessing we get 15-20 people total.
If you’re doing the bracket challenge, send the money to @codyauburn on Venmo. Just put your username in the comments. If it asks for the last four digits of my phone number, it’s 5134.
#Virginia Cavaliers #East Carolina Pirates #Oklahoma Sooners #Army Black Knights Charlottesville Regional Preview: UVa hosts 3 challengers loaded with postseason experience POSTSEASON Shotgun Spratling - June 1, 2023 Regional Schedule/Results | Regional Scoreboard | Bracket Challenge Checking The Field Virginia was nearly unbeaten at Disharoon this season going 32-4, but the Cavaliers will face much stiffer competition than they did at the park throughout the season. They’ll like match up with East Carolina at some point for the second year in a row. The Pirates are trying a different angle in their attempt to make it to Omaha, something Oklahoma did last year and hopes to follow up on. Army brings in an old, physical lineup that can do damage. 1. Virginia: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 2. East Carolina: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 3. Oklahoma: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 4. Army: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders Spoiler Charlottesville Regional Superlatives Most Exciting Player: Kyle Teel, C, Virginia. The ACC Player of the Year is hitting .414 with 12 homers and 60 RBIs while catching pretty much every inning since he arrived on campus. He’s a lock to be an early-round draft pick and plays with the fire and zeal of someone always trying to prove himself. Best Hitter: Jake Gelof, 3B, Virginia. The stalwart third baseman has hit 20 doubles, three triples and 22 home runs. He holds the single-season and career home run records at Virginia. He also has broke the school’s single-season RBI record each of the last two years, driving in 84 so far this season. Best Defensive Player: Griff O’Ferrall, SS, Virginia. The All-ACC first-team selection is perhaps the overlooked piece of the Virginia puzzle, but he’s also the big connector piece in the middle of the diamond that holds everything together. He’s super smooth with everything he does when his left hand is in a baseball glove. He’s got good instincts and and strong, accurate arm. Best Pitcher: Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina. Somewhere along the line an “a,” was dropped out of Trey’s last name because when he’s rolling on the mound… “Yea, savage.” The 6-foot-4 sophomore righthander has been outstanding when healthy this season, going 6-1, 2.80 with 98 strikeouts in 70.2 innings. He’s holding hitters to a .193 average against. There was some debate about how he could be used this weekend, but Cliff Godwin has named Yesavage the Friday night starter. X-Factor: John Spikerman, OF, Oklahoma. The Spikerman we anticipated after his eye-opening play in the postseason last year has finally started to sprout late in the season. He enters the regional on a 10-game hit streak (with 11 walks during the stretch) and has multiple hits in six of his last eight games. If he can be the dynamic havoc maker we expected at the beginning of the season, Oklahoma becomes a different team. Best Starting Rotation: East Carolina. Yesavage is the top pitcher and fronts the top rotation. The sophomore is joined by junior righthander Josh Grosz (4-2, 3.65) and veteran senior Carter Spivey (7-3, 4.40, 1 SV). The trio leads a pitching staff that is top 20 in ERA, WHIP, strikeout-to-walk ratio, hits per nine innings, walks per nine innings and strikeouts per nine innings. Best Bullpen: Army. When swingman Robbie Buecker is used as a reliever, Army is playing its best. He adds a different dynamic with his ability to go short or long and can be used as a strategic piece to mix and match with his ability to rebound on back-to-backs. The Black Knights also have co-closers Sean Dennehy and Patrick Melampy that have combined to strike out 75 batters in 53.2 innings. Dennehy is holding hitters to a .188 average while Melampy has walked only six batters. Best Offensive Team: Virginia. The Cavaliers lead the nation with a .334 team batting average and their 152 doubles are more than anyone else in the country. They rank seventh in the nation in scoring, averaging 9.1 runs per game. The top of the lineup is scary good, and if you think you can blink in the bottom half, someone like Casey Saucke is waiting to catch you sleeping. Best Defensive Team: East Carolina. The Pirates make you earn your offense. They don’t walk batters — eighth in the nation allowing 3.19 per nine innings — and they don’t give your free bases. Jacob Starling is an athletic second baseman while shortstop Joey Berini doesn’t have the wow factor, but just seems to make all the plays. The outfield defense is a weapon with Jacob Jenkins-Cowart in left field and Lane Hoover starting in center until he inevitably shifts over to left for JJC when the speedy Ryley Johnson comes in to patrol center field. No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 4. Virginia is 32-4 when playing in front of the home fans at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park this season, but that record only includes wins over two teams that made the NCAA tournament. It swept Miami but lost the series against Duke. The Cavaliers will have to play much more like they did against Miami than how they did versus Duke because East Carolina comes in playing without the pressure of being at home in front of The Jungle, Oklahoma has postseason pedigree from its run to the championship series last year and Army has a veteran lineup that has no fear. Charlottesville Regional Team Breakdowns Virginia (45-12, 19-11 ACC) Jake Gelof. (Shotgun Spratling) Virginia won its first 14 games of the season on its way to a 24-2 start. The Cavaliers were 30-4 before running into a three-week rough patch that saw them lose home series to Pitt and Duke and get swept at Notre Dame. They bounced back after their final exam break to win their final seven regular-season games. Virginia will hope to continue its non-conference dominance this season after compiling a 26-1 non-conference record against a weak slate that featured only one game against an opponent in the top 85 of the RPI. The Cavaliers have one of the best, if not the best, top halves of the batting order in the nation. The top five hitters all get on base at a .439 or better clip. They are extra-base machines, combining for 164 or nearly 33 each. Jake Gelof (.333/.439/.753) leads the way in that category with his 45. ACC Player of the Year Kyle Teel is perhaps the finest catcher in all the land. He is hitting .414, 12, 60 to go along with throwing out 34 percent of baserunners. Shortstop Griff O’Ferrall is the pot stirrer, hitting .393 with 16 stolen bases, second on the team to Ethan O’Donnell (.369, 12, 49), who has been a dynamite transfer pickup from Northwestern. He’s half of the Two Ethans duo along with first baseman Ethan Anderson (.377, 11, 56). With those five producing at the level they have, the bottom half is only asked to turn the lineup over as quickly as possible. On the mound, Virginia gets it done with a collection of arms rather than having the high-end frontline starters like they’ve had in the past, particularly from the left side, like Nate Savino and Andrew Abbott all the way back to Nathan Kirby and Brandon Waddell. The Cavaliers’ most consistent starter has been Army transfer Connelly Early (10-2, 3.39), who began the year as the midweek starter but moved into the weekend rotation. Head coach Brian O’Connor took advantage of the final exam off week to rearrange his starting rotation, pushing Early into the Saturday role, bumping Nick Parker (7-0, 4.06) up to Fridays where he began the season before taking a 100+ mph line drive off the face that caused him to miss a week of action and shuffled him back in the weekend rotation as he got back in the groove. Brian Edgington (7-3, 3.89) slid to the Sunday role after the Elon transfer had filled in the Friday night role after Parker’s injury. The rearrangement pushed freshman Jack O’Connor (6-3, 3.92) into a multi-inning mid-relief role where he has excelled giving up four hits and two runs in nine innings over five appearances. O’Connor has been able to effectively be the bridge between the starters and the backend arms where Virginia has multiple options starting right dual-sport star Jay Woolfolk (2-0, 2.48, 9 SV) and 6’10” lefty Jake Berry (0-4, 3.68, 5 SV). East Carolina (45-17, 18-6 American) East Carolina’s Alec Makarewicz celebrates his eighth-inning homer (Aaron Fitt) Is this the year? It’s the question that gets asked every season with the Pirates. Can they finally make it to Omaha? It seems like they are always right on the cusp, yet haven’t been able to make it over the hump. They were one win away and lost an instant classic to Texas last year. It was the third consecutive super regional loss for ECU. All three started with East Carolina hosting a Greenville Regional, so maybe that coveted first trip to the College World Series will have to begin with a road warrior origin story. There will be less pressure on the Pirates playing at Virginia, who was the No. 2 seed in the Greenville Regional last year. East Carolina beat the Hoos in the all-important 1-0 game last year en route to their regional title. The Pirates have the pitching to make a run. They are deep enough with a starting rotation of Trey Yesavage, Josh Grosz and Carter Spivey along with freshman lefty Zach Root (3-3, 5.88) available to go multiple innings either as a fourth starter or in long relief. They also have five relievers that have thrown at least 30 innings and have an ERA below 5.00, led by closer Danny Beal (6-1, 2.66, 3 SV), who is holding hitters to a .185 average and has only walked nine batters in 50.2 innings. As a staff, East Carolina is top 20 in ERA, WHIP, K:BB ratio, H/9, BB/9 and K/9. They don’t give away freebies. ECU is No. 8 in the nation allowing just 3.19 walks per nine innings, which has helped them have the No. 5 overall WHIP at 1.26. The offense isn’t overwhelming like the ECU bats have bene in the past, but it gets the job done averaging 7.4 runs per game. Six Pirates are hitting over .300 (if you include Ryley Johnson’s .304 in 92 ABs over 55 games played). There are six Pirates have have at least eight home runs. Josh Moylan (.302, 15, 66) leads the power attack while Jacob Starling (.314, 10, 50 with 18 SB) has a power/speed combo. Setting the table for those guys is fifth-year senior Lane Hoover (.280, 2, 23), who is approaching 800 career at-bats. He is a career .310 hitter, which is exactly the mark he has hit after opening the season in a 7 for 42 slump basically the first month of the season. But when the offense is humming at it’s best, Jacob Jenkins-Cowart (.294, 9, 44) is in the middle of the action. His average has dropped nearly 30 points in the last month, and he didn’t homer in the month of May, so getting him going could be the key to the Pirates making an NCAA tournament run. Oklahoma (31-26, 11-13 Big 12) Jackson Nicklaus. (Shotgun Spratling) The defending national runner-up Sooners had an 8-14 stretch in the middle of the season that featured them losing eight of 10 games at one point. They looked like they were following last year’s blueprint of getting hot at the end of the season as they went 10-3 before entering their final regular-season series, but Oklahoma lost the Bedlam matchup with Oklahoma State and went 1-2 in the Big 12 Tournament. It still found its way into the NCAA tournament where the Sooners look to channel some mojo from last year’s postseason run. (They can only hope to find a Cade Horton hiding in plain sight.) Last year’s postseason experience will no doubt be a boost, but the problem is that very few pitchers used last postseason are going to be on the mound for the Sooners this weekend. Braden Carmichael (7-0, 3.15) is slated to start the opener on Friday, but his postseason experience amounted to pitching to four batters in the super regional, hitting one and giving up two hits. Carter Campbell, the top reliever on this year’s squad, going 6-4, 4.84 in 57.2 innings over 32 appearances, gave up four runs while collecting five outs over three postseason appearances last year. Carson Atwood (1-2, 5.53, 1 SV in 2023) gave up runs in three straight brief appearances after a strong postseason debut last year. Aaron Calhoun had the most success in the NCAA tournament last year of any returning Sooner. He pitched a scoreless inning on three separate occasions, but he has struggled to an 0-1, 8.76 mark in 12.1 innings this season. The returning experience is in the lineup, but outside of Kendall Pettis (.323, 1, 21), those returners have struggled to build upon last season’s success. Jackson Nicklaus (.242, 6, 39), Wallace Clark (.233, 0, 17) and Diego Muniz (.267, 1, 17) have all regressed and/or failed to take a step forward. A big jump was expected from John Spikerman after he was a postseason difference maker last year, but he has hit .265, 3, 33 with 24 SB this season. The good news is that Spikerman enters the regional having hit safely in 15 of his last 18 games, raising his average more than 40 points during that stretch thanks to multiple hits in six of his last eight games as he’s got a 10-game hit streak going. Instead of the returners doing the heavy lifting, new faces like shortstop Dakota Harris (.322, 7, 46) and outfielder Bryce Madron (.308, 11, 45) from the junior college ranks and Sam Houston State transfer Anthony Mackenzie (.304, 6, 39) have carried the load. Army (38-16, 21-4 Patriot) Kevin Dubrule. (Shotgun Spratling) The Black Knights began the season 6-10 before going liquid magma hot with a 22-2 stretch. They have dominated the Patriot League in recent memory under Jim Foster, but even after he left for the Northwestern job last offseason, Army has not slowed down. Chris Tracz came over from Marist and just kept things rolling after the slow start to the season. The Black Knights were pushed in the Patriot League semifinal series against Lafayette, losing the opening game of the three-game series before bouncing back to sweep a doubleheader the next day. The championship series against Bucknell was an absolute thrashing as Army won the two games 20-5 and 21-6. The offensive firepower is no joke for the cadets. They average eight runs per game. Similar to Virginia, they have a top five that all have the potential to go for extra bases. Sam Ruta, Derek Berg, Kevin Dubrule, Ross Friedrick and Braden Golinski are all hitting at least .300 with 15 or more doubles and at least 44 runs driven in. Dubrule is the only one of the group without at least 12 home runs. He’s got nine, but he’s batting .411 and he’s one of the toughest hitters in the nation to strike out with a strikeout every 20 at-bats. He has 18 walks and eight hit by pitches to 11 strikeouts. The 6’4” Friedrick (.372, 17, 58) can put quite the charge into the baseball when he gets ahold of one, but it was the 5’11” Dubrule that Patriot League coaches hoped to avoid. He always seems to get the big hit and always finds a way to make something happen for his team. Dubrule was the Patriot League player and defensive player of the year. The question will be whether Army’s pitching can hold its own against offenses like Virginia and East Carolina. The Black Knights were a sneaky good potential No. 4 seed to have as an upset pick before they lost ace Tanner Gresham (5-1, 2.90) for the season. Matthew Ronnebaum (7-4, 5.01) has struggled bumping up to the front of the rotation since Gresham went down. He’s only had one strong outing his last four times out. Six-foot-six, 267-pound junior righthander Mike Ruggieri (9-1, 2.86) is an imposing figure on the mound, and he’s imposed his will on hitters when he doesn’t give away free passes (60 K, 35 BB in 69.1 IP). Sean Dennehy (3-0, 2.84, 5 SV) and Patrick Melampy (1-2, 3.18, 4 SV) have been sure fire at the backend of games, but the Black Knights’ most important pitcher has been swingman Robbie Buecker (5-3, 2.84, 2 SV). The 5’8”, 178-pound side slinger doesn’t do anything super special. He just gets hitters out, like when he started against Arkansas in March and allowed one run on three hits in 5.1 innings. How Tracz chooses to utilize Buecker will be an interesting thing to keep an eye on.
#LSU Tigers #Oregon State Beavers #Sam Houston State Bearkats #Tulane Green Wave Baton Rouge Regional Preview: Stars shining bright in Louisiana TOP STORIES Kendall Rogers - June 1, 2023 Regional Scoreboard | Louisville Slugger Bracket Challenge Checking The Field LSU entered the season as the nation’s No. 1 team. And though the Tigers haven’t been great the past couple of weeks, they’ve been okay. Expectations are sky high for Jay Johnson’s club entering the postseason. Oregon State has been piecing things together from a pitching standpoint, while the offense certainly has star power with Gavin Turley, Travis Bazzana and Garrett Forrester leading the way. Sam Houston has hard-hitting sluggers Joe Redfield and Tyler Davis, while Tulane is riding a crazy wave (no pun intended) after winning the American tournament. 1. LSU: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 2. Oregon State: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 3. Sam Houston: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders 4. Tulane: Regular Season Results | Team Stats and Leaders Spoiler Baton Rouge Regional Superlatives Most Exciting Player: Paul Skenes. It’s hard not to go with someone like Dylan Crews here, but Skenes is one of those once in a decade type of players. Skenes entered the season with high expectations, and he hasn’t let off the gas pedal for a second with a fastball up to 101-102 mph to go with a 1.89 ERA in 90.1 innings, along with a ridiculous 167 strikeouts and just 17 walks. Skenes has had an incredible season, and we will see if that continues this weekend. Best Hitter: Dylan Crews. This man needs no introduction. It’s funny because people think he has cooled off over the past few weeks. Well, Crews is still hitting a ridiculous .420 with 13 doubles, 15 homers and 59 RBIs, along with 58 walks and 38 strikeouts. Crews also has a .567 OBP to go with a 1.277 OPS. Crews is an electric hitter, and he’s also a terrific defender in the outfielder. He’s the total package. Best Defensive Player: Kyle Dernedde, Oregon State. It’s hard not to go with LSU second baseman Gavin Dugas for this category considering he didn’t have an error the first three months of the season, but how about the experienced and talented Beavers shortstop? Dernedde has been a consistent force in the field with just three errors to give him a fantastic .981 fielding percentage. Best Pitcher: Paul Skenes. Sorry, but this is probably going to be our shortest bit of analysis. Skenes is the obvious choice here with his electric fastball and outrageous numbers so far this season. He is the most valuable player in college baseball. X-Factor: Garrett Forrester, Oregon State. As I’ve watched Oregon State throughout the season, the most common denominator when things are going well is Forrester. The talented veteran is one of the nation’s most talented players, and he’s having yet another solid season with a .330 average, 11 doubles, 10 homers and 52 RBIs. Additionally, keep an eye on Sam Houston’s Tyler Davis and Joe Redfield. Both of those guys are ultra-impressive, and I love Redfield’s sweet stroke from the left side. Best Starting Rotation: LSU. As much maligned as the starting rotation has been this season, I actually feel OK about this unit entering the regional, and here’s why: Paul Skenes is going to Paul Skenes each time out, but how about righthanded pitcher Ty Floyd? I thought he threw very well against Texas A&M in the SEC tournament. Thatcher Hurd also continues to improve. Things are trending up in this department at the right time. Best Bullpen: Oregon State. Give me the Beavers here. OSU has several arms it can rely on out of the bullpen, with Ryan Brown and Ben Ferrer leading the way. Ferrer started in the conference tournament, and he’s a guy who attacks hitters with a nasty breaking ball. AJ Hutcheson, Ian Lawson and hard-throwing Nelson Keljo, among others, are worth keeping an eye on in this Regional as well. There’s serious depth with this bu llpen. Best Offensive Team: LSU. This is another category that isn’t up for much debate. The Tigers have one of the nation’s premier hitters in outfielder Dylan Crews, while Tommy White has made a massive impact in his first season with the Tigers. White enters the NCAA tournament with a .392 average to go with 20 homers and 91 RBIs. Tre Morgan, Jordan Thomas and Gavin Dugas are all strong role players, while freshman slugger Jared Jones is one to watch from a power standpoint. Best Defensive Team: Oregon State. This one isn’t up for much debate. We mentioned the outstanding defense of Kyle Dernedde earlier in the preview. Well, the Beavers as a whole are terrific defensively, sitting ninth in the category as a team with a .981 fielding percentage. Pretty good I’d say. No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 8. Beating LSU in a regional at the Box is very difficult, and I don’t expect much to change this weekend. Sure, LSU has some question marks on the mound, but this is a team with far more than enough offensive firepower to overcome setbacks on the bump. If someone is going to knock out LSU in Baton Rouge, a Herculean performance is needed. Baton Rouge Regional Team Breakdowns LSU (43-15, 19-10 SEC) The Tigers haven’t been a complete product on the mound all-season long, but yet, they’ve still won a boatload of games thanks to a potent offense and a pitcher by the name of Paul Skenes. Ever heard of him? LSU enters the regional with one of the nation’s premier offensive lineups, and it all starts with Dylan Crews and Tommy White, which we chronicled earlier in the preview. Crews has walked 58 times this season, and no one loves having the spotlight on him more than White, who has 20 jacks and 91 runs batted in this season. Tre Morgan is sneaky good and has a consistent offensive approach, Brayden Jobert has some big-time power potential, and both Gavin Dugas and Jordan Thompson are outstanding role players. Jared Jones is another big-time power threat, while I’d keep a close eye on. Hayden Travinski. Travinski has been a big part of LSU’s success offensively over the past couple of weeks, and he has suddenly become one of the more clutch hitters on this team, along with a guy like veteran slugger Cade Beloso. LSU is tough to slow down when everything is clicking. I’m feeling slightly better about LSU’s pitching heading into the weekend. Skenes and his electric fastball, slider and changeup need to no introduction, but it’s worth talking about righthanded pitcher Ty Floyd a bit. Floyd, a righthander, has had many peaks and valleys this season, but he pitched very well last weekend at the SEC tournament against Texas A&M. When Floyd is right, it’s a plus changeup to go with a big-time fastball up to 95-96 mph. Nate Ackenhausen and Griffin Herring are both talented pieces out of the bullpen, while Thatcher Hurd could be the X-factor in the postseason. Hurd looks the part when he’s right, getting up to 94-95 mph with his fastball along with a breaking ball with spin rates about 3000 RPM. He has been solid as of late, but will that continue in the postseason this weekend? We’ll find out soon. Oregon State (39-18, 18-12 Pac-12) The Beavers have been a pretty consistent club throughout the spring. They began the season in solid fashion and finished second in the Pac-12 behind Stanford. OSU will enter the Baton Rouge Regional behind the eight ball a bit from a pitching standpoint, as Jacob Kmatz, who made 14 starts this spring, will miss the rest of the season because of an injury. That loss puts the microscope of this team directly on the pitching staff entering the weekend. That also puts a lot of pressure on someone like starting pitcher Trent Sellers to deliver. Sellers has been one of the great stories in college baseball this season with 101 strikeouts in 66.2 innings of work, while the strength of the pitching staff is the bullpen. Ryan Brown and Ben Ferrer are both seasoned veterans who are flat out filthy when clicking on all cylinders. Meanwhile, Ian Lawson has a 3.44 ERA in 18 appearances, AJ Hutcheson has a 3.64 ERA in 29.2 innings of work and Nelson Keljo is another high-level, high-leverage arm to watch. Keljo has appeared in 21 games this season and has a fastball well into the mid-90s. Though the Beavers might need to pitch by committee this weekend, the offense is more than capable of taking the rest of the slack. The Beavs have a potent offensive lineup headlined by sophomore slugger Travis Bazanna, who’s hitting .379 with 20 doubles, 10 home runs and 53 RBIs. Meanwhile, Micah McDowell has some serious athleticism and speed, and can beat you a variety of ways. Garret Forrester and Gavin Turley are two big-time gamebreakers to watch. Forrester has hit 10 homers and 52 RBIs, and the Beavs are almost unstoppable when he’s rocking and rolling. Meanwhile, Mason Guerra is having a stellar campaign at the plate, hitting .328 with 17 doubles, 11 home runs and 54 RBIs. Overall, the Beavs have five sluggers with double digit home runs. That could bode well in hot and steamy Baton Rouge. Sam Houston (38-23, 22-8 WAC) As with pretty much every team in this tournament, Sam Houston is one of those teams that can absolutely wear you out offensively. The Bearkats have some experience and this is an older roster.. It’s what makes this group so scary this weekend in Baton Rouge. Sam Houston first baseman Tyler Davis is one of the coolest stories in college baseball this season. Davis used to primarily be a pitcher. However, he’s now one of the best hitters in our sport, hitting .432 with 20 doubles, seven homers and 60 RBIs. Carlos Contreras, who was a rock star last season, is still having a solid season with six homers and 46 RBIs, while Myles Jefferson and. Clayton Chadwick are both athletic, versatile players. Outside of Davis, Joe Redfield and Walker Janek are the two-best players to watch. Redfield has a sweet stroke from the left side and is hitting .408 with 18 doubles, three triples, 14 homers and 53 RBIs, while Janek is a big-time backstop with some serious pop in his bat. There’s also talented Justin Wishkoski, who’s hitting .338 with nine homers and 49 RBIs. Most impressive about this team is that nine players have double digit doubles. On the mound, the Bearkats won’t blow you away from a starting pitching standpoint. Coltin Atkinson is an upper-80s pitchability type of guy who has just 29 walks in 81.1 innings of work, while Steven Beard is another pitchability guy who has 21 walks in 79.2 innings of work. Command is the name of the game for both. If they don’t command, they have a tendency to get hit relatively hard. As for the bullpen, Chandler David, Alex Magers and Braden Davis have each made more than 20 appearances this spring. Magers, the Texas A&M kickback, has some funk in his delivery and has just seven walks, while David has made 29 appearances and has 73 strikeouts in 57 innings of work. Also keep an eye on Logan Hewitt and Gavi Coldiron, who have made a combined 36 appearances. Tulane (19-40, 8-16 American) What a wild, wild past week it has been for the Green Wave. This is a team that was left for dead a long time ago. But after finishing the regular season near the bottom of the American Athletic Conference, they got hot at the conference tournament and won the automatic bid. Sure, the Green Wave is 19-40 overall, so expecting this team to go on some sort of incredible run is probably not the right call. But don’t let the talent fool you — this team has it. Teo Banks was terrific last week in Clearwater and certainly has raw talent, hitting .303 with 11 doubles, 18 homers and 51 RBIs. Brady Marget is another talented bat to watch with nine homers and 31 RBIs, while Jacob LaPrairie is a good role player and Brennan Lambert and Simon Baumgardt are two potential gamebreakers to watch. Lambert is hitting .290 with 12 doubles, nine homers and 50 RBIs, while Baumgardt is hitting .268 with 12 doubles, 13 homers and 38 RBIs. In essence, this is a team with several talented hitters back from a club that didn’t have a bad 2022 campaign. Tulane has struggled on the mound for much of the season, but lefthanded pitcher Dylan Carmouche is a talented arm to watch. Carmouche will get into the low-90s with his fastball and is coming off a strong start at the AAC tourney, where he struck out nine and allowed just two runs and three hits in eight innings against Memphis. Ricky Castro is another quality arm to watch, while there’s a boatload of guys on this staff who have earned more than 15 appearances this spring. Tulane ranks 231st nationally in ERA, and didn’t pitch particularly well at the conference tournament outside of Carmouche and a couple of others. That will need to change to shock the world this weekend.