Postseason Field of 64 | PG College Baseball Top 25: May 25
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Regionals paired
between the line breaks by their projected Super Regional matchups.
•
National seed listed
in parenthesis when applicable.
Los
Angeles, Calif., Regional
1.
UCLA (1)
4. Bakersfield
3.
Maryland
2.
Ole Miss
UCLA
is a popular choice as the national title favorite. The Bruins have
enviable pitching depth bookended by projected first round ace James
Kaprielian and all-world closer David Berg. Additionally, the Bruins'
position player group is more athletic than the one that won it all
in 2013. UCLA's separator is a west coast offense that plays
perfectly at TD Ameritrade Park. The Bruins appear to have lost
freshman sensation Griffin Canning for the postseason with a back
injury so their pitching depth could be tested.
Maryland
head coach John Szefc owns the most impactful decision in this
regional: does he throw ace Mike Shawaryn in game one or gamble and
save him for UCLA? Ole Miss is a very young team but the Rebels
feature lefthander Christian Trent as their ace which could force
Szefc's hand in throwing Shawaryn in the opener. The Rebels' power
hitting first baseman Sikes Orvis has a plus moustache and might be
the biggest personality in this Regional.
Mike
Bianco and his staff deserve a ton of credit for guiding this very
inexperienced team to the postseason through one of the tougher
schedules in the country.
Bakersfield
skipper Bill Kernan had announced his retirement last May but changed
his mind several weeks later. He cited the potential of the 2015
Roadrunner team as his reason for un-retiring and he certainly was
right.
Lake
Elsinore, Calif., Regional
1.
UC Santa Barbara
4.
San Diego State
3.
Virginia
2.
Southern California
This
Regional may be the most uncertain one nationally and it starts with
its location in Lake Elsinore, Calif. The facility itself, the home
of the San Diego Padres single-A California League team, sports a
strong reputation and should prove to be a great venue. However, fan
interest is a wildcard here as Lake Elsinore is approximately 180
miles from the UCSB campus. This should be one of the most
competitive Regionals nationally so it would be a shame if attendance
disappointed.
UCSB
features a vintage west coast offense which emphasizes offensive
execution, aggressive baserunning, and a plethora of hitters taking
one for the team. The Gauchos four-man rotation of Dillon Tate,
Justin Jacome, Shane Bieber and Domenic Mazza may be the nation's
best as Tate and Jacome both project to be high picks. Tate remains
in the conversation for the first overall selection.
USC
rode a hot start through the first half of the season and their
signature weekend was a sweep of UCLA, Vanderbilt, and TCU at the
Dodger Stadium Classic. Righthander Kyle Davis, who led the nation in
ERA last year, is the key for the Trojans as both his health and
production have been inconsistent. The Trojans are an older and
starless lineup sans Jeremy Martinez who is their best hitter.
Virginia
entered the final two weekends of the regular season at 10-14 in ACC
play but they rebounded with a 5-1 record over their last six
conference games thus saving their postseason chances. Injuries have
been the story of the Cavs' season but Joe McCarthy is now healthy
and Nathan Kirby has responded well to his throwing program, making
him a possibility for Regional play. This is a very young yet
talented team nonetheless, and remember, Virginia opened the year No.
2 in the Perfect Game Preseason Rankings.
San
Diego State skipper Mark Martinez, who was the Associate Head Coach
under the late Tony Gwynn, has the Aztecs back in the NCAA tournament
for the third consecutive season. Third baseman Ty France and ace
Bubba Derby are the stars of this club but the emergence of
righthander Mark Seyler and the hitting of Steven Pallares have been
difference makers.
Baton
Rouge, La., Regional
1.
Louisiana State (2)
4.
Lehigh
3.
Tulane
2.
UNC Wilmington
LSU
enters the postseason holding onto their No. 1 ranking in the nation
despite being slotted as the No. 2 national seed. This will mark the
23rd time in school history that they are hosting a
Regional, and head coach Paul Manieri has claimed four Regional
championships in his previous eight years at the helm of the Tigers.
The
Tigers of course are led by their dynamic shortstop, Alex Bregman,
who is expected to be taken among the top 3-5 overall picks in this
year's draft. And to point to just how dynamic LSU's offense can be,
his .330 average is fifth-best among their regulars, and the squad is
collectively hitting .321 with 47 home runs. And as good as the
lineup is the pitching staff is equally good, with a staff ERA of
2.96. They're expected to go with a Johnny Wholestaff approach to
open Regional play on Friday before turning to freshman stud Alex
Lange, who is 10-0 on the year, and sophomore lefthander Jared Poche
on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
UNC
Wilmington enters Regional play for the seventh time in their
program's history after knocking of College of Charleston in the
Colonaial Athletic Assocation Conference Championship. The Seahawks
boast a .306 team batting average, with five regulars hitting north
of .300 and two others just below that mark. Steven Linkous ingnites
the offense as evidenced by his .413 on-base percentage and 30 stolen
bases (in 38 attempts), while closer Jordan Ramsey has been lights
out all year long, going 8-2 with seven saves and a 1.60 ERA in 27
games.
The
Green Wave of Tulane are led by first year head coach David Pierce,
who spent the last three seasons leading Sam Houston State to
Regional play and has made the postseason an astonishing 15 years in
a row as a coach. It's Tulane's 20th Regional appearance
overall, and they're highlighted by a solid core up the middle of the
field with sophmores Stephen Alemais manning short and Jake Rogers
providing valuable leadership behind the plate.
Lehigh
provided a surprising upset over Navy in the Patriot League
Championship despite having a 25-29 record this season. However, they
played much better down the stretch, going 20-11 over their last 31
games, and will be making just their second appearance in postseason
play.
Houston,
Texas, Regional
1.
Houston
4.
Houston Baptist
3.
UL Lafayette
2.
Rice
The
Houston Regional should provide one of the more entertaining overall
matchups of any of the 16 fields of play. The Houston Cougars are one
of the hottest teams in the country after opening the year ranked
eighth, only to drop out of the Top 25 rankings a few weeks into the
regular season, re-enter in recent weeks before falling in the
championship game in the American Athletic Conference tournament to
East Carolina. They are now ranked 15th with a 42-18
record, and are looking to return to the Super Regionals for the
second straight year.
Houston
has done a nice job re-assembling their pitching staff after losing
Jake Lemoine and Aaron Garza early in the year, with sophomore Andrew
Lantrip, junior Kyle Dowdy and AAC Freshman of the Year Seth Romero
all stepping up in increased roles.
Rice's
end to the regular season was disappointing after a late surge in
Conference USA that saw them squeeze into the Top 25, as they were
quickly escorted out of the conference tournament losing their first
two games. However, few teams can boast the postseason experience
that head coach Wayne Graham brings to the table, returning to the
NCAA Tournament for the 21st straight year.
The
Ragin' Cajuns have some momentum heading into Regional play after
claiming their second consecutive Sun Belt Championship last weekend.
They did a nice job overall rebouding late in the year, opening the
season without many of the players that helped lead them to a 58-10
overall record in 2014 despite losing to Ole Miss in the Super
Regionals at their home park.
UL
Lafayette opens the tournament against Rice, a team they have faced
five times previously in the posteason, with the Owls holding a 3-2
advantage.
Houston
Baptist received an automatic bid to postseason play by claiming the
Southland Conference Tournament Championship, their first-ever trip
to the Regionals.
Louisville,
Ky., Regional
1.
Louisville (3)
4.
Morehead State
3.
Michigan
2.
Bradley
Brendan McKay (Photo: University of Louisville Sports Information)
On
paper the No. 3 national seeded Louisville Cardinals appear to have
one of the easiest roads to Super Regional play, but as we all know,
these games aren't played on paper or in one's stat book.
That
said what Louisville did in their first year in the ACC is truly
astonishing. Perfect Game did pick the Cardinals to finish the year
as the best from the conference, but the manner in which they did so
was unexpected, dominating their competition (25-5 in conference
play) week after week with a well-rounded ballclub from top to
bottom.
It
shouldn't be considered too much of a surprise as Head Coach Dan
McDonnell looks to reach Omaha for the third consecutive season.
Staff ace and projected first-round pick Kyle Funkhouser seemed to
run out of gas a little the last few weeks, but was picked up by his
starting rotation mates Brendan McKay and Josh Rogers, forming one of
the best weekend trios in the nation.
In
their first game Louisville will face an opportunistic Morehead State
squad led by Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year Mike McGuire,
who opened the year by taking three of four games from the San Diego
Toreros and finished the year by winning the Ohio Valley Conference
Tournament. Although the Eagles' staff ERA is 6.27, they hit .335 as
a unit with a whopping 169 doubles and 65 home runs.
No.
3-seeded Michigan also made the most of their opportunities, winning
the Big Ten Conference Championship and are led by two-way talent
Jacob Cronenworth, who helps to pace the Wolverines offense while
also serving as the backend of the bullpen.
Bradley
rounds out the Regional bracket, losing to No. 8 national seed
Missouri State in the MVC Championship game last weekend after
knocking out a powerful Dallas Baptist team. The Braves have been
discussed quite frequently the last two months based on their strong
RPI rank and head to Regional play for the first time since 1968.
Although they don't stand out particularly well on offense (.257 team
batting average) or with their pitching (4.30 ERA), they employed a
patient, team-oriented approach to get on base, advance runners to
make the most of their opportunities.
Fullerton,
Calif., Regional
1.
Cal State Fullerton
4.
Pepperdine
3.
Clemson
2.
Arizona State
In
head coach Rick Vanderhook's fourth season with the program,
Fullerton is appearing in its 37th NCAA postseason in
their 41 years at the Division I level, including 24 years in a row,
proving once again that they're one of the biggest household names in
college baseball. They finished the year strong, going 19-5 in Big
West Conference play despite their 34-22 overall record.
However,
they will be without Justin Garza, who along with ace Thomas Eshelman
has anchored the weekend staff since his freshman season in 2013.
Freshman lefthander John Gavin appears poised to take Garza's spot in
the rotation, as he has performed at a high level this year,
particularly down the stretch, giving the Titans the two strong arms
they expected to have at this point of the season.
They're
going to face some stiff competition in this Regional as Arizona
State, Clemson and Pepperdine have all proven to be dangerous
opponents this year, and like Fullerton, have deep and rich histories
of winning at a high level.
Arizona
State is likely the most dangerous of this bunch to pull off the
upset, with a deep staff that can nearly match the Titans', to go
along with an opportunistic offense that found numerous ways to win
close ballgames late.
Clemson's
ace Matthew Crownover may very well be the lefthanded answer to
Eshelman, winning ACC Pitcher of the Year honors on the strenth of a
10-2 season. Led by head coach Jack Leggett, the Tigers will be
appearing in their 40th NCAA Regional, which is the
fifth-most in all of college baseball.
Pepperdine
makes it in for the 30th time after claiming the West
Coast Conference Championship, and have recent postseason experience
after advancing to the Super Regionals a year ago.
Gainesville,
Fla., Regional
1.
Florida (4)
4.
Florida A&M
3.
South Florida
2.
Florida Atlantic
A.J. Puk (Photo: Tim Casey)
Florida
brings huge momentum to this Regional having won the SEC tournament
title. Logan Shore has been steady as the ace of the staff but A.J.
Puk's emergence as a dominant No. 2 starter over the last month has
changed Florida's season.
Harrison
Bader provides a veteran presence in a young lineup and his junior
season has been very productive. The heart and soul of this team
however, is the freshman trio of Mike Rivera, J.J. Schwarz, and
Dalton Guthrie. Guthrie sat out of the conference title game with a
wrist injury and his return will be critical to the Gators' national
title hopes.
Florida
A&M is led by head coach Jamey Shouppe who spent 21 seasons as
the pitching coach at Florida State. Shouppe inherited a program that
had back-to-back 7-45 seasons. Since his hire, the Rattlers are 49-49
and they are about to play in their first-ever NCAA tournament.
South
Florida hit a home run with the hire of head coach Mark Kingston last
summer. Kingston had led Illinois State to five straight seasons of
30-plus wins and he has already made an impact for the Bulls.
Righthander Jimmy Herget may be the most feared arm in this Regional
not named A.J. Puk, and whether he pitches Game 1 or 2 for the Bulls
is a decision that will affect the entire complexion of this
Regional.
Florida
Atlantic finished second in the Conference USA regular season and the
Owls looked to be a sure-fire Regional host until they suffered a
home sweep at the hands of Rice in May. Junior lefthanded hitter
Brendon Sanger is FAU's best player and he brings 20 doubles and a
.491 on-base percentage to the table. Sanger has led FAU in hitting
in each of his three seasons in Boca Raton.
In
2013, Florida Atlantic pushed No. 1 overall seed North Carolina to
extra innings in the final game of the Chapel Hill Regional so this
program has significant Regional experience to draw upon.
Tallahassee,
Fla, Regional
1.
Florida State
4.
Mercer
3.
Auburn
2.
College of Charleston
D.J. Stewart (Photo: Ross Obley)
Florida
State's winning of the ACC tournament almost secured the Seminoles a
Top 8 national seed. This team has been an enigma, having been swept
at Notre Dame and by Clemson in Tallahassee. The 'Noles also lost a
series at Georgia but they led the nation with 19 wins versus the top
50.
FSU
is once again led by their offense and D.J. Stewart is the best
lefthanded hitter in America. Two vulnerabilities for the 'Noles are
infield defense (.963 fielding percentage) and a shortage of out
pitches on this pitching staff. However, Mike Martin and his
outstanding coaching staff always seem to figure things out
regardless of their roster deficiencies.
Mercer
is a not a team to be taken lightly as the Bears won both the regular
season and conference tournament titles in just their first season in
the Southern Conference. Mercer is making their third NCAA tournament
appearance in the last six seasons. Sophomore Kyle Lewis is a monster
and he leads the Bears with an astonishing 35 extra-base hits, which
includes 17 home runs.
Auburn
returns to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2010 in just
the second year under head coach Sunny Golloway. Despite a 13-17 SEC
regular season, Auburn earned an at-large bid through its very
challenging non-conference schedule. Ace Keegan Thompson has been
sidelined with an arm injury and it's hard to imagine the Tigers
winning this Regional without a healthy Thompson.
College
of Charleston was predicted by many to be the 16th host team but that
site was awarded to UCSB. The Cougars won the Gaineville Regional
last year as a No. 4 seed. Charleston ace Taylor Clarke is the best
pitcher in this field and his numbers are eye-popping: 13-1, 1.34
ERA, 136 strikeouts and 14 walks in 107 1/3 innings.
Coral
Gables, Fla., Regional
1.
Miami (5)
4.
Florida International
3.
Columbia
2.
East Carolina
Miami
was the second best team in the ACC this year behind Louisville and
this may be the nation's scariest position player group. This is a
physical team with depth to the lineup and they are led by David
Thompson who has a ridiculous 19 home runs and 80 RBI. Zack Collins,
Garrett Kennedy and George Iskenderian are also having big years for
the Hurricanes.
Pitching
is the key for Miami as lefthanded ace Thomas Woodrey has
significantly outperformed his stuff. Senior lefthander Andrew
Suarez, who was the highest selected player in last year's draft to
return to college, has been very inconsistent in 2015 as he has
battled injuries. Cooper Hammond and Bryan Garcia form a very strong
back end of the bullpen for the Hurricanes.
East
Carolina is a proud program that is uptrending for the first time in
what feels like a long time. First-year skipper Cliff Godwin deserves
tremendous credit for rallying this group and the Pirates won the
conference tournament after finishing a clean second in the regular
season in the nation's third rated conference according to RPI.
Columbia
is once again overseeded as a No. 3 seed and they are headed back to
Coral Gables for the second consecutive year. The Lions are on a
historic run under head coach Brett Boretti as they are in Regionals
for the third consecutive season.
Florida
International was the No. 8 seed in the Conference USA tournament and
the Panthers were among the many bubble busting teams to make this
Regional field. Head coach Turtle Thomas has great pedigree as a
long-time assistant coach at perennial powers Miami, LSU, and Arizona
State and he has been to the College World Series an astonishing 14
times.
Dallas,
Texas, Regional
1.
Dallas Baptist
4.
Virginia Commonwealth
3.
Texas
2.
Oregon State
Dallas
Baptist was the RPI darling of the 2015 season, finishing as the No.
2 overall RPI team despite winning neither the MVC regular season or
conference tournament titles. This should not take away from a team
that is extremely dangerous in the postseason. Remember, DBU is
appearing in their fifth Regional in the last eight years and they
won the 2011 Fort Worth Regional before falling to Cal in the Super
Regional round.
The
Patriots are a physical, aggressive group and the back of their
bullpen features multiple power arms. Ace Joseph Shaw is a 10 game
winner and bullpen arms Brandon Koch and Chance Adams have combined
for 140 strikeouts in just 90 1/3 innings pitched. The lineup has
depth as well with eight regulars who have hit at least 12 doubles
and have at least 34 RBI.
It
will be interesting to see if head coach Dan Heefner throws someone
other than Shaw against VCU. The Rams were the fifth-seeded team in
the Atlantic 10 tourney but they are riding an 11-game winning
streak. The VCU hitters do lead the nation with 104 hits by pitch so
we know they have toughness.
Oregon
State finished alone in second place in the Pac-12 at 19-10, which
was an incredible accomplishment for a team comprised mostly of
freshmen and sophomores. Junior righthander Andrew Moore is one of
the nation's best big-game pitchers and freshman righthander Drew
Rasmussen threw a perfect game earlier in the year.
Freshman
superstar K.J. Harrison leads the offense with 58 RBI and junior Jeff
Hendrix has recently moved from the leadoff spot to the three hole.
Shortstop Trever Morrison is an elite defender but he has missed the
last 15 games with injury. He may be available for the Regional and
that will be a key development.
Texas
was the single biggest disappointment of the regular season. This
team was ranked No. 6 in the Perfect Game Preseason Rankings, but
they limped home to an 11-13 finish in a weaker than normal Big 12.
By virtue of sweeping through the Big 12 tournament, the Longhorns
now become one of the more interesting No. 3 seeds in this
tournament.
Texas
may have five future big leaguers in their lineup with C.J. Hinojosa,
Tres Barrera, Bret Boswell, Ben Johnson, and Michael Cantu all
possessing strong pro potential. Starting pitching is the key for
Texas and keep an eye on freshman righthander and future ace Connor
Mayes who threw a complete game shutout last weekend in Tulsa.
Champaign,
Ill., Regional
1.
Illinois (6)
4.
Ohio
3.
Wright State
2.
Notre Dame
Although
Illinois' 27-game win streak was snapped last weekend, their
impressive season was rewarded with the No. 6 national seed and the
opportunity to not only host a Regional, but also a Super Regional
should they adance, the first time they can make that claim in the
program's history. The Illini are also only the second Big Ten team
to earn a national seed, with Indiana claiming the other last year.
Illinois
did very well claiming individual hardware as well, as David Kerian,
Tyler Jay and Dan Hartled were named the Big Ten's player, pitch and
coach of the year respectively. Jay in particular has been most of
the most talked about players in the nation and is expected to draw a
huge scouting crowd to Champaign waiting to get their chance to see
the electric lefthander close out a game.
Notre
Dame was awarded with an at-large berth thanks to a somewhat
up-and-down yet still productive 36-21 season. Their season was
highlighted by a series sweep over Florida State at Frank Eck
Stadium. Sophomore second baseman Cavan Biggio opened the year on
fire while looking like an easy All-American candidate, but gradually
cooled as the season wore on and finished with a .254/.408/.455
triple slash line.
Although
they received a scare from Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wright State rebounded well
and ousted the Panthers 17-4 in the Horizon Leagaue Tournament to
secure an automatic bid after a dominant 41-15 season that includes a
21-8 mark in conference. Keep an eye on the Raider bullpen to help
keep them in games, as Logan Blair, E.J. Trapino and Andrew Elliott
combined for 15 wins, 13 saves and a 2.09 ERA in an incredible 58
appearances spanning 129 1/3 innings.
The
main story surrounding the Ohio Bobcats was Connor Sitz tossing a
no-hitter against Bowling Green in the MAC Championship last weekend
on their way to earning an automatic bid. This will mark Ohio's 15th Regional appearance and their first since 1997.
Nashville,
Tenn., Regional
1.
Vanderbilt
4.
Lipscomb
3.
Indiana
2.
Radford
Although
they weren't as dominant as expected entering the year as the
consensus No. 1 team in the nation, Vanderbilt still played well
enough to be a Regional host, the fourth time they've done so in the
last five years.
SEC
Pitcher of the Year Carson Fulmer took his game to another level down
the stretch and is yet another high profile hurler expected to be
taken among the top 10 overall picks in this year's draft. Walker
Buehler gives the Commodores another proven ace with significant
postseason experience after Vanderbilt won it all in 2014. Shortstop
Dansby Swanson could be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft after
going on a tear at last weekend's SEC Championship, finishing the
tournament second to the No. 4-national seeded Florida.
The
bottom line is that Vanderbilt has the talent, the coaching staff and
the experience to advance deep into the postseason.
Standing
in Vandy's way are two upstart teams, Radford and Indiana. Radford,
led by Big South Coach of the Year Joe Raccuia, seemingly cruised to
both the Big South regular season and Tournament championships and
enter Regional play for the first time in program history. They
posted an incredibly impressive 43-14 record while being ranked the
No. 17 team in the nation. Starter Michael Boyle is 10-2 with a 2.27
ERA while leading the Highlanders staff.
Although
Indiana go bounced from the Big Ten Tournament by the eventual
runnerup, Maryland, they did win a pair of games over Ohio State and
Iowa, and also had late-season sweeps over both Maryland and Ohio
State as well as a series win over Long Beach State. It's safe to say
that the Hoosiers were underrated some entering the season with the
departures of coach Tracy Smith and several key contributors from the
2013 and 2014 seasons.
However,
first-year coach Chris Lemonis, who previously served as Louisville's
recruiting coordinator, proved to have more than just a few tricks up
his sleeve leading his club to a 34-22 season. Lemonis' bullpen was
particularly stingy, led by closer Ryan Halstead, his 51-to-5
strikeout-to-walk ratio in 40 innings and his 10 saves.
For
only the second time in program history Lipscomb (39-18) heads to the
NCAA postseason after beating the No. 1-seeded North Florida in the
Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship.
Fort
Worth, Texas, Regional
1.
Texas Christian (7)
4.
Sacred Heart
3.
Stony Brook
2.
N.C. State
TCU
held onto a national seed despite a quick exit from the Big 12
Championship Tournament. Their success, which has been chronicled in
great detail here, is predicated off of their four big starting
pitchers; Preston Morrison, Alex Young, Tyler Alexander and Mitchell
Traver. They have an equally deep bullpen, play very good team
defense, and their offense, despite lacking power, has hit .287 on
the year as a group with seemingly someone new playing the role as
hero on any given night.
Basically,
Jim Schlossnagle's team doesn't beat themselves very often, and this
year marks their 11th trip to Regional action in the last
12 years and the fifth time they have hosted.
Which
of course means a tough test for a 23-30-1 Sacred Heart team that
received an automatic bid by winning the Northeast Conference
Tournament as the No. 4 (of four) seed.
Stony
Brook's run to the College World Series in 2012 is still fresh on
people's minds, and this will mark the first time since then that the
Seawolves advance to the NCAA postseason. They entered the year as
the favorite to win the America East Conference and delivered as
expected, going 34-14-1 overall with a 18-4-1 mark in conference
play. Stony Brook has two big arms to turn to to open the weekend in
Daniel Zamora and Tyler Honahan, each of whom claimed seven victories
this year.
N.C.
State fell one game shy of taking the ACC Tournament, falling to
Florida State in the championship game after knocking off Notre Dame,
Miami and Virginia along the way. That marked a very strong finish to
the season for the 34-21 Wolfpack. Brian Brown quietly had a big year
on the mound for N.C. State, going 7-3 with a 1.72 ERA in 14 starts,
while the team as a whole posted a collective ERA of 2.91.
College
Station, Texas, Regional
1.
Texas A&M
4.
Texas Southern
3.
California
2.
Coastal Carolina
Nick Banks (Photo: Texas A&M)
This
should prove to be one of the toughest Regional locations, with the
host Aggies having to face some stiff competition in Coastal Carolina
and Cal as well as Texas Southern.
Texas
A&M finished the regular season somewhat on a down note, losing
three of their last five series, all to SEC opponents (Arkansas, LSU
and South Carolina). They did go 2-1 in the SEC Tournament, splitting
a pair of games with Vanderbilt as they hope to enter Regional play
on a more positive note.
Without
a doubt the Aggies can run up the score in a hurry, with eight
hitters that had at least five home runs on the year. Nick Banks is
their most dangerous all-around threat and top prospect, although he
won't be eligible until next year. Grayson Long at 9-0 has served
admirably as the team's de-facto ace, although the team will need to
play tighter defense in the postseason if they hope to advance.
California
was ranked at one point this season, and although their stay was
short, they hovered just outside of the Top 25 for the remainder of
the year, with series wins over Arizona, Arizona State and USC over
the last month of the season. David Esquer is leading a young bunch
of talented ballplayers to Regional play for the fifth time in his 16
years at Cal, and could be giving his youthful squad the much-needed
experience they need to make another deep run next year.
Although
Coastal Carolina didn't squeeze into Perfect Game's Top 25 rankings
during the regular season, they too were on the short list of teams
just on the cusp of inclusion for most of the second half of the
season. They ultimately fell short of their Big South rivals,
Radford, and are somewhat limping into the postseason playing without
their two best starting pitchers, Alex Cunningham and Austin Kerr.
However, that doesn't take away from the fact that the Chanticleers
have been Regional regulars in recent memory, as they will make their
13th appearance in the last 15 years.
Texas
Southern will make their third-ever trip to Regional play after
claiming the SWAC Championship in impressive fashion with a dominant
10-0 win over Southern to move to 31-17 on the season. They're
hitting .293 as a team and aren't afraid to take off on the basepaths
once they reach, swiping 136 bases this year in 170 attempts.
Springfield,
Mo., Regional
1.
Missouri State (8)
4.
Canisius
3.
Oregon
2.
Iowa
Jon Harris (Photo: Missouri State Photographic Services)
Missouri
State decisively won both the MVC regular season and conference
tournament, and veteran skipper Keith Guttin also led the Bears to
the 2003 College World Series. The Bears have two elite starters in
projected first rounder Jon Harris and lefthander Matt Hall. Hall
currently leads the nation in strikeouts and features a video game
caliber breaking ball.
The
Bears are an older lineup led by star center fielder Tate Matheny –
who is the son of St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny – and
lefthanded hitting senior Eric Cheray. The accomplished Cheray, who
is hitting .436, is back from injury and able to hit again.
Oregon
came on like gangbusters and the Ducks were among the last four
at-large teams selected into the field. The Ducks series win over
UCLA last weekend sealed the deal and they are the only team to
defeat the Bruins in a weekend series this year. The Ducks finally
got healthy at the midpoint of the season and finished on a 18-7 run,
winning five straight weekend series. Oregon is led by three elite
lefthanders in Cole Irvin, freshman sensation David Peterson and
Garrett Cleavinger. Irvin is now approximately 18 months removed from
Tommy John surgery and has no pitch count restrictions.
Iowa
brings an older group to the table but one with no Regional
experience. Head coach Rick Heller has now brought three different
programs (Northern Iowa, Indiana State, and Iowa) to the NCAA
tournament. The Hawkeyes will participate in the NCAA tournament for
the first time since 1990.
Canisius
has advanced to the MAAC championship game in each of the last four
years, so they're used to winning and should not be overlooked by any
of the other three teams in this Regional.
Stillwater,
Okla., Regional
1.
Oklahoma State
4.
St. John's
3.
Oral Roberts
2.
Arkansas
Oklahoma
State will host a Regional in Stillwater for the second consecutive
season. These four teams make for a very offensive group and Allie P.
Reynolds stadium can become a high run-scoring environment when the
wind blows out, which it often does this time of year.
The
Cowboys are incredibly well-coached and a very efficient team.
Utility man Gage Green is their best overall player while shortstop
Donnie Walton is their most valuable player. Lefthander Michael
Freeman has had a banner year but the Cowboys' starting pitching has
been inconsistent beyond Freeman.
St.
John's will pose a strong test in Game 1 as the Johnnies have vast
tourney experience as a program. Head coach Ed Blankmeyer led St.
John's to the Tucson Super Regional in 2012 after winning the Chapel
Hill Regional.
Oral
Roberts dominated the Summit League and this is an older group as the
Golden Eagles' everyday lineup features five seniors who are key
contributors. Anthony Sequiera, who leads the team in hitting, has
been a dominant two-way player with 20 doubles, 10 home runs, and 11
saves. Oral Roberts is a scary No. 3 seed.
Arkansas
is led by National Player of the Year candidate Andrew Benintendi.
This is an older position player group that plays with an edge. The
Razorbacks' pitching has been inconsistent and starters Trey Killian
and Keaton McKinney must stay hot for Arkansas to advance. Skipper
Dave Van Horn is bringing a team to Regionals for the 16th straight
year.