Preview: Charlottesville Regional

The Charlottesville regional features host Virginia, Bucknell, Liberty and Arkansas

Virginia

The Cavaliers were are 44-13 coming into the tournament out of the ACC. They have a .277 team batting average, led by Joe McCarthy (.305/6 HR/44 RBI), and Mike Papi supplies the power with 10 homers to go along with a team-leading 47 RBI and a .289 batting average. On the mound, Virginia boasts a 2.36 team ERA, seventh-best in the country. Nathan Kirby (8-1, 1.48), Brandon Waddell (7-3, 2.73) and Josh Sborz (4-4, 3.38) led the starters while Nick Howard (2-1, 2.22, 18 saves in 26 appearances) was dominant out of the ‘pen for one of the best relief corps in college baseball

Bucknell

The Bison (30-19) are champions of the Patriot League and making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2010. They struggle offensively, hitting just .249 as a team and scoring barely more than 4.3 runs per game. The offense is led by Corey Furman at .388 and Joe Ogren at .324. Ogren leads the team with 28 RBI, while Antho Gingerelli leads the team with five homers while driving in 27. On the mound, Dan Weigel stood out, going 7-5 with a 2.94 ERA in 13 starts, while Tucker Rekucki (3.60 ERA) and Xavier Hammond (3.34) combined to save 10 games out of the bullpen for a staff that posted a solid mark of 3.41 on the season

Liberty

The Flames (41-16) come into Charlottesville out of the Big South Conference, where they posted a 23-3 conference record. As a team they hit .276, led by their two big bats, Ryan Seiz (.362/12 HR/42 RBI) and Alex Close (.324/8/45). Danny Grauer also hit seven homers and drove in 40 runs for a team that showed decent pop, hitting 36 homers as a team and scoring 5.6 runs per game. Their pitching staff was somewhat unheralded, surprising given their 2.62 team ERA, the 14th-best mark in the NCAA. Trey Lambert (11-2, 2.10 ERA) and Parker Bean (7-2, 2.71) led a dominant weekend rotation, while Matt Marsh (0.54 ERA in 33 1/3 innings), Shawn Clowers (0.89 ERA in 50 1/3 innings) and Ashton Perritt (1.52 ERA, 12 saves in 21 appearances) were strong out of the bullpen

Arkansas

The Razorbacks (38-23) enter the tournament out of the SEC, posting a 16-14 mark in conference play–impressive given the fact that 10 SEC schools made the field. But a .263 batting average doesn’t bode well for this team against the pitching they’ll face in this regional. The offensive attack is spearheaded by Brian Anderson, who has six homers and a team-leading 49 RBI on the season to go along with his .311 batting average. Eric Fisher also provides some power with nine homers for a team that hit just 26 all season. In terms of team ERA, the Razorback is right behind Liberty with the 15th-best mark in the country at 2.63. Chris Oliver (8-4, 2.25) and Jalen Beeks (5-4, 2.11) headlined a weekend staff also featuring Trey Killian, who posted a 2.18 ERA despite the 4-8 record. Leading the way for the relievers were Michael Gunn (4-2, 0.84 ERA, 7 saves in 26 appearances), Jacob Stone (4-0, 0.99 ERA, 3 saves in 22 appearances) and Zach Jackson (2-2, 1.80 ERA, 2 saves in 23 appearances).

Pick: Virginia

If you like pitching, then you’ll love this bracket which features three of the top 15 pitching staffs in the country. Don’t be surprised if Liberty or Arkansas give the Cavaliers all they can handle, but ultimately I think the Cavs will pull through in a low-scoring regional.

Preview: Coral Gables Regional

The Coral Gables Regional features host Miami (FL), Bethune-Cookman, Columbia and Texas Tech

Miami (FL)

The Hurricanes (41-17) come out of the ACC, where they posted a 24-6 conference record this season. Two starters in the lineup hitting .290 or above. They hit .262 as a team and average 5.5 runs per game. The offensive attack is led by Dale Carey (.313/7 HR/28 RBI) and one of the ACC’s best power hitters in Zack Collins, who’s hitting .300 with 13 doubles, three triples, nine homers and a team-leading 49 RBI, while Tyler Palmer added 33 RBI to along with his .294 batting average. Chris Diaz (9-0, 2.31 ERA), Bryan Radziewski (7-2, 3.14) and Andrew Suarez (5-3, 3.22) led the rotation while Thomas Woodrey (4-0, 2.45 ERA in 44 innings) and Cooper Hammond (5-1, 2.51 ERA in 32 1/3 innings) were dynamite middle relievers and Bryan Garcia shut down opponents in the late innings, accruing 15 saves and posting a 1.86 ERA in 30 appearances.

Bethune-Cookman

The Wildcats (26-31) were the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic conference, defeating Norfolk State 4-2 in the title game to claim their first NCAA birth since 2012. They’re solid on the mound with a 3.57 team ERA, led by two dominant starters, Montana Durapau (11-1, 1.71) and Keith Zuniga (7-4, 2.59). Donte Lindsay (1-1, 3.52) and Chris Waltermire (2-5, 3.56 ERA in 21 appearances) led the charge, while Michael Austin was solid despite the 0-5 record, posting an ERA of 3.03 in 22 appearances. On offense, they average less than 4.4 runs per game and hit just .254 as a team. The attack is led by Eric Sams (.321/1 HR/17 RBI), while Eros Modena (10 doubles, 25 RBI) and Jordan Robinson (7 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer, 30 RBI) add some much-needed punch to the lackluster offense.

Columbia

The Lions (29-19) come in as the champions of the Ivy League, making their second consecutive NCAA appearance. Runs for them have come at a premium, averaging 4.8 per game and hitting just .265 as a team. Will Savage (.338, 8 doubles) leads the team in batting average, while David Vandercook and Robb Paller lead the team with 34 RBI apiece.  Gus Craig supplies the most pop with six homers on the season while Vandercook has hit five. David Speer (7-2, 1.86 ERA) and Kevin Roy (6-4, 3.02) led a pitching staff that posted a 3.35 ERA on the season. Joey Donino also put up good numbers, going 3-3 with a respectable 4.03 ERA, striking out 48 batters in just 44 2/3 innings. The ends of games were by committee, with four different pitchers recording multiple saves this season. Zack Tax (1.50 ERA in 18 innings) and Mike Weisman (1.83 ERA in 19 2/3 innings) were the leaders of the bullpen.

Texas Tech

Despite an early exit in the Big 12 Tournament, the Red Raiders (40-18) come in winners of four of their last six. Over the course of the season, they racked up series victories over Indiana in the non-conference, a win over Rice, and a series win over TCU in conference play. Texas Tech was the best hitting team in the Big 12 with a .294 team average. The offense is paced by sophomore utility man and pitcher Eric Gutierrez, hitting .313 with 12 homers and a conference-leading 56 RBI. Right there with him is senior outfielder Adam Kirsch with 19 doubles, nine homers and 48 RBI. Bryant Burleson also drove in 37, while sophomore outfielder Tyler Neslony sports a gaudy .412 average with four homers and 31 RBI in 131 at-bats. Bottom line is, this team can hit–they were the 17th best offense in the NCAA, scoring 371 runs overall and averaging almost 6.4 runs per game. But don’t take them for a one-trick pony, because there’s depth on the pitching staff as well, with five different players starting at least eight games for this team. Dylan Dusek (6-0, 2.35) led the charge, while Cameron Smith (3.32 ERA in 22 appearances) and Ryan Mosely (3.86 ERA in 20 appearances) have been solid all season.

Pick: Texas Tech

Neither Columbia nor Bethune-Cookman have the firepower necessary to advance, so it came down to Miami and Texas Tech. I’m gonna say that the Red-Raiders’ powerful offense will score in bunches, and they’ll get enough quality pitching to move on.

Preview: Columbia Regional

The Columbia Regional will feature host South Carolina, Campbell, Old Dominion and Maryland

South Carolina

The Gamecocks come in at 42-16 on the season and posted an 18-12 mark in SEC play. Despite their early exit from the SEC tournament, they possess everything necessary to make it to Omaha. As a team they hit .279 and average about 5.4 runs per game. The offensive attack is paced by Grayson Greiner, currently hitting .328 with 13 doubles, a team-leading eight homers and a team-leading 50 RBI. Kyle Martin (.329/5 HR/33 RBI) and Joey Pankake (.307/5/29) add a little more punch to the offense as well. On the hill the Gamecocks boast the eighth-best ERA in the country with a mark of 2.37. The starters are led by Jack Wynkoop (7-5, 2.71 ERA), but the bullpen is where South Carolina distinguishes itself. Seven primary relievers sport ERAs of 2.35 or below. Josh Reagan has a 0.38 ERA in 25 innings. Vince Fiori has a 0.98 ERA in 18 1/3 innings. Cody Mincey has an ERA of 1.04 in 34 2/3 innings. Reed Scott has a 1.34 ERA in 40 1/3 innings. And closer Joel Seddon has a 0.85 ERA and 14 saves in 25 appearances–the list goes on and on. No doubt one of the best bullpens in the country.

Campbell

The Fighting Camels (40-19) come in as champions of the Big South Conference after defeating Winthrop 9-1 in the title game. It’s just the school’s second-ever NCAA berth, and their first since 1990. The Camel offense hits .273, averages 5.4 runs per game and boasts four hitters with an average .300 or higher. It’s paced by senior Matt Nadolski, who currently sits at .303 with 17 doubles, two triples, five homers and a team-leading 47 RBI. Matt Parish (.328, 22 RBI), Steven Leonard (.303, 29 RBI) and Danny Pardo (.279/3 HR/23 RBI) provide some nice punch to back him up. On the mound, their weekend rotation of junior Heath Bowers (10-3, 2.95 ERA) and seniors Hector Cedano (8-0, 2.40) and Ryan Koopman (8-1, 2.79) make up one of the better trios in the country. They’ve also got one of the country’s best relievers to go to in senior Ryan Thompson, who went 6-1 with a staff-leading 1.22 ERA (6th-best in NCAA) and 17 saves, which was the sixth-best total in the nation.

Old Dominion

The Monarchs (36-24) come out of Conference USA, one of two teams from C-USA in the NCAA tournament. They’re coming off a strong performance in the C-USA tournament, losing 7-5 in a semi-final game to Rice. The Monarchs hit .283 and their lineup boasts four players hitting .300 or higher. They are led offensively by Josiah Burney, who is hitting .290 with 17 doubles, two triples, six homers and 41 RBI. Taylor Ostrich (.317 BA/.378 OBP) and Nick Walker (.319/.405) get on base in front of him, and Ben Slaton (.275/3 HR/40 RBI) behind him adds more firepower to an offense that averages nearly 5.7 runs per game.Pitching-wise, the starting rotation is solid, led by Andy Roberts (6-3, 3.01 ERA) and Victor Diaz (5-2, 3.04). The Monarchs also have a nice one-two late-inning combination to go to in Brad Gero and Conner Overton. The two combined to go 6-5 with a 2.54 ERA (Gero 2.77, Overton 2.25) and 16 saves in their 65 appearances.

Maryland

The Terrapins are coming off a 36-23 season and a loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament, during which they defeated Florida State and Virginia, both national seeds, which might well have catapulted them to the school’s first NCAA bid in 43 years. They hit .270 as a team with two starters hitting over .300. They are led by Brandon Lowe (.346/1 HR/37 RBI) and Blake Schmit (.310/1/26), but nobody else hit higher than .275. They’re also led by Jose Cuas with five homers and 41 RBI. With four different players making at least seven starts, there is a lot of depth in the rotation, with all four sporting ERAs below 3.00. Mike Shawaryn (10-3, 2.70), Jake Stinnett (7-6 2.60), Jake Drossner (4-1, 2.45) and Zach Morris (2-1, 2.77) make up one of the better rotations in the entire ACC. Out of the bullpen, the go-to guys are Alex Robinson (2.45 ERA in 17 appearances), Ben Brewster (2.74 ERA in 23 innings) and Bobby Ruse (2.91 ERA in 55 2/3 innings). And Kevin Mooney recorded 11 saves, despite an ERA (4.26) that’s extremely high for a late-inning reliever.

Pick: South Carolina

The Gamecocks are simply too strong in all aspects of the game. They have a steady, consistent offense and dominant pitching staff that will carry them to Super Regional play.

 

Preview: Gainesville Regional

The Gainesville Regional will consist of host Florida, College Of Charleston, North Carolina and Long Beach State

Florida

The host Gators (40-21, 21-9 SEC) come into the tournament as the only 20-loss host. That being said, they did make it to the SEC Tournament final, falling to LSU 2-0. As a team the Gators hit .267 and have two starters batting over .300. The offense is paced by Taylor Gushue, who’s hitting .323 with a team-leading six homers, 16 doubles and 49 RBI. While they may struggle to score at times (less than 4.7 runs per game), the Gators do have a balanced offense, with three players driving in at least 30 RBI on the season and five driving in at least 25 runs. On the mound, from Logan Shore (7-3, 1.99 ERA) was the highlight, but there is a ton of depth behind him. Over the course of season, 12 different players started a game for the Gators, while eight different players picked up a save during the season. Aaron Rhodes (5-2, 2.48 ERA in 54 1/3 innings) and Kirby Snead (3-0, 1.71 ERA in 40 1/3 innings) were dominant out of the bullpen, while Ryan Harris seemed to be the normal choice late in games, making 27 appearances and leading the club with five saves. Keep a close eye on that trend throughout the tournament.

College of Charleston

The Cougars (41-17, 15-6 CAA) enter the tournament as the champions of the Colonial Athletic Association, defeating William & Mary in the title game 6-4 to earn their second NCAA bid in three years. Their offense is led by Gunnar Heidt (.335/4 HR/30 RBI), the team’s only .300 hitter. But they still have some nice compliments for Heidt in Carl Wise, who’s hitting .293 with a team-leading 52 RBI, and Brandon Murray, who led the team with six homers while driving in 22 and hitting .270. On the mound, there is a ton of depth in the starting rotation, with four different players making at least 10 starts for the Cougars. They were led by Bailey Ober (9-2, 1.37 ERA) and Taylor Clarke (10-3, 2.65) while Tyler Thornton (6-5, 3.13) and Nathan Helvey (3-4, 3.84) were solid compliments. In the bullpen, Eric Bauer (2.06 ERA in 12 appearances) and Chase Henry (2-0, 2.31 ERA in 27 appearances) did the heavy lifting to get it to Michael Hanzlik (2-1, 3.53), who has recorded 14 saves on the season thus far.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels (34-25, 15-15 ACC) enter the tournament after a decent performance (2-2) in the ACC tournament. The Heels are led on offense by junior shortstop Michael Russell, who’s hitting .345 with a team-leading four homers and 32 RBI. The main thing to watch for the Tar Heels is how they get production from everywhere in the lineup, with seven different players driving in at least 25 runs on the season. Tyler Ramirez (.290/2 HR/26 RBI) and Wood Myers (.302/1/29) are some nice compliments to Russell here as well. The starting rotation is anchored by Trent Thornton (7-3, 2.24), while Benton Moss (4-2, 3.33) and Zac Gallen (5-4, 4.43) put together solid seasons as well. North Carolina’s solid bullpen was led by Spencer Trayner (3-2, 1.69 ERA in 37 1/3 innings) and Reilly Hovis (2.10 ERA, 6 saves in 33 appearances). Chris McCue is another viable late-game option, with a 0.77 ERA and seven saves in seven appearances so far this season.

Long Beach State

The 49ers–or “Dirtbags” as embraced by the student body–come out of the Big West Conference with a record of 32-24. Maybe not all that impressive at first glance, but Long Beach State does have series wins this season over Indiana, Cal Poly and Cal State Fullerton, so don’t take them for granted. They do have four hitters at .300 or higher, but they hit just .261 as a team and come in averaging less than 4.3 runs per game. The offense is paced by freshman infielder Garrett Hampson (.316/1 HR/16 RBI) and junior outfielder Richard Prigatano (.314/1/45). Not a lot of power here at all, as the 49ers have just six homers as a team all season. On the mound, LBSU does sport a 2.91 team ERA, which is a top-30 mark in the country. The starters are led by redshirt sophomore Andrew Rohrbach (6-2, 2.13) and Josh Frye (8-0, 1.51), while Nick Sabo chipped in with a very nice season, going 4-5 while posting a 3.08 ERA. The primary go-to arms out of the bullpen were Ty Provencher (5-5, 1.90 ERA in 23 appearances) and Kyle Friedrichs (1-1, 4.24 ERA, 6 saves in 22 appearances). Ryan Millison was steady as both starter and reliever, going 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA in 18 appearances, five of them starts.

Pick: North Carolina

The Tar Heels are the best offensive team in a region filled with teams that struggle to score. What I like about UNC is that they get production from hitters 1-9 in the batting order. No team in the regional really creates many opportunities on the bases (which sometimes helps struggling offenses). I look for Carolina’s balance, both at the plate and on the mound, to carry them through to Super Regional play.

Preview: Bloomington Regional

The Bloomington Regional features host Indiana, Youngstown State, Stanford and Indiana State

Indiana

The Hoosiers are coming into the NCAAs after a season which saw them go 42-13 (21-3 Big Ten) and take home both the regular season and conference tournament title in the Big Ten. They hit .294 overall, with six starters hitting over .300, beginning with senior infielder Dustin DeMuth (.381/5 HR/36 RBI). The Hoosiers also boast two of the best power hitters in the Big Ten in junior infielder Sam Travis (.342/10 HR/53 RBI) and junior catcher Kyle Schwarber (.340/12/41), who combined to hit 22 of the team’s conference-leading 39 homers. On the hill, the Hoosiers were one of the best pitching staffs in the nation with a 2.17 team ERA (3rd in NCAA). The starting rotation was spearheaded by senior Joey DeNato (12-1, 1.77 ERA) and sophomore Christian Morris (6-3, 1.82). Redshirt freshman Jake Kelzer (1-2, 2.15 ERA in 23 appearances), junior Luke Harrison (6-0, 1.98 ERA in 26 appearances) and sophomore Scott Effross (4-2, 1.65 ERA, 5 saves in 30 appearances) were the anchors of a stout bullpen that saw four primary relievers with ERAs of 2.15 or lower. If this bunch gets on a roll, look out Omaha.

Youngstown State

They may not have a great record, but that doesn’t matter to them at this moment, because the Penguins (16-36, 6-17 Horizon) are getting hot at just the right time. They were sitting at just 12-36 heading into the conference tourney, but came together to win four straight games in Mequon to clinch the Horizon’s auto-bid, their second NCAA berth in school history and first since 2004. I’d love to make a case that they have a chance, but there’s just no good way to spin some of the numbers. They hit just .256 as a team, led by Phil Lipari (.322/5 HR/26 RBI) and Josh White (.305/1/18). Runs are often at a premium, as they average just about 4.7 runs per game. On the mound, the good things were hard to find. Kevin Yarabinec was the loan bright spot, going 2-2 with a 2.42 ERA in 19 appearances. No other pitcher on the staff had an ERA lower than 4.58 for team that ended up with a team ERA of 6.90. At this point I’d have to say the Penguins’ chances are bleak at best, and that’s being kind. But hey, anything can happen right? So why not?

Stanford

The Cardinal are coming out of the Pac-12 with a record of 30-23 (16-14 Pac-12) and coming off a strong performance in the conference tournament which may very well have propelled them into Bloomington. The Cardinal hit just .269 as a team and only score 4.5 runs per game, but they do have five starters with an average .300 or higher. Stanford’s attack is paced by Austin Slater (.349/1 HR/36 RBI), Zach Hoffpauir (.339/6/28) and Alex Blandino, one of the best power hitters in the Pac-12. Blandino sports a .306 average with 13 doubles, 11 homers and 37 RBI. The pitching staff is anchored by John Hoshstatter (10-1, 2.62 ERA) and Cal Quantrill (5-5, 2.92). In the bullpen, Sam Lindquist (2-0, 2.13 ERA in 13 appearances) and A.J. Vanegas (2-3, 2.16 ERA in 17 appearances) were the best of the bunch. Marcus Brakeman also had a solid season, sporting a 3.71 ERA in 16 appearances.

Indiana State

The Sycamores (35-16, 14-7 Missouri Valley) made it into the field of 64 despite an early exit from the MVC tournament. They have just a .274 team batting average, with three starters hitting .295 or higher. The attack is led by Mike Fitzgerald, who has a .305 average with 10 doubles, three homers and 26 RBI to go along with a gaudy .461 on-base percentage. Jacob Haynes led the squad with four homers and 35 RBI. The Sycamores also did a fair amount of damage on the bases, swiping 68 bags in 51 games. Landon Curry led the team with 18 in 25 attempts. Their weekend starters were led by David Stagg (7-4, 2.96 ERA). Kurt Kudrecki (6-4, 4.14) and Brad Lombard (6-3, 3.48) round out a very solid weekend trio. The bullpen was really where the staff excelled, led by Ryan Keaffaber, who racked up 11 saves and recorded a 2.80 ERA in 23 appearances. But he’s not alone–Josh Dove (2.01 ERA, 3 saves in 19 appearances) and Trent Lunsford (2.03 ERA, 3 saves in 18 appearances) are two more dominant arms they can turn to late in games.

Pick: Indiana

There’s just no way around it–I see this as one of the most favorable brackets for a host in the entire field. The Hoosiers average almost 6.3 runs per game while giving up just 2.9. Neither Youngstown State, Stanford nor Indiana State has the balance or consistency needed to take down the Hoosiers

Preview: Nashville Regional

The Nashville Regional will consist of host Vanderbilt, Xavier, Clemson and Oregon

Vanderbilt

The Commodores come into play with a record of 41-18, and posted a 17-13 mark in SEC play, impressive considering the conference’s depth. They hit just .278 as a team, but do still have three regulars hitting over .300: Darwin Swanson (.336/3 HR/30 RBI), Vince Conde (.306/4/43) and Brian Reynolds (.323/4/44). They don’t bring much power to the table, hitting just 21 homers as a team. Wiel Zander is the team leader in that category with five bombs on the season. Vanderbilt does much of its damage on the bases, stealing 91 on the season and having six different players reach double digits. On the mound, they have the 16th-best ERA in the country at 2.73. The staff is anchored by a trio of strong starters, Buehler Walker (10-2, 2.30), Tyler Ferguson (7-3, 2.60) and Tyler Beede (7-7, 3.49). They also have one of the nation’s best bullpens, with five relievers–Adam Ravenelle (1.35), Carson Fulmer (1.31), John Kilichowski (1.35), Brian Miller (1.97) and Hayden Stone (1.87)–all posting ERA’s below 2.00, with all five averaging about a strikeout per inning.

Xavier

The Musketeers come in as champions of the Big East with a record of 29-27. It’s their second bid in school history and first since 2009. They did hit .283 as a team, but have just two .300 hitters in their lineup. The offense is led by junior catcher Derek Hasenbeck, hitting .307 with nine doubles, a team-leading six homers and 27 RBI. Daniel Rizzie is another bat to watch, hitting .301 with four homers and 33 RBI. And don’t sleep on redshirt freshman infielder Andre Jernigan  either, as he leads the Musketeers with 38 RBI. Pitching has been a problem all season for Xavier, as they sport a 4.32 ERA and just a .965 fielding percentage. The only consistent performer has been Vinny Nittoli, who is 6-3 with a 1.98 ERA. But beyond that, the Musketeers lack any consistency on the mound, severely hampering their already-small chance to pull some upsets

Clemson

The Tigers (36-23, 15-14 ACC) come into the tournament on the heels of an ACC title-game loss to Georgia Tech. As a team they hit, just .276, and have three starters hitting over .300. The player to keep on eye on here is Tyler Krieger, who hit .330 with 16 doubles, two homers and 32 RBI on the season along with a .405 on-base percentage. Krieger also stole 19 bases in 24 attempts. Also keep close tabs on Steve Wilkerson, who hit .318 with five homers and 39 RBI, and Steven Duggar, who hit .296 and was deadly when he got on base, stealing 25 bases in 27 opportunities. On the mound, the Tigers’ rotation is anchored by starters Daniel Gossett (7-4, 1.78 ERA) and Matthew Crownover (8-5, 2.26). Drew Moyer (3.35 ERA in 26 appearances), Garrett Lovorn (2.79 in 8 appearances) and Matt Campbell (4-0, 8 saves, 0.87 ERA in 24 appearances) are reliable arms coming out of the bullpen. The Tigers did, however, post just a .963 fielding percentage and commit 88 errors on the year.

Oregon

The Ducks enter Nashville off a 42-18 season which also saw them post an 18-12 mark in Pac-12 play. The Ducks’ offense has struggled to say the least, as they come into the tournament with just a .259 team batting average and just one starter hitting over .300, Mitchell Tolman. Tolman is hitting .315 with 17 doubles, three triples, two homers and 46 RBI. While the offense has struggled to score at times this season, the Ducks do have one of the better power hitters in college baseball in Shaun Chase. Chase has hit 12 homers this season while driving in 30 runs and sporting a .281 average. The rotation was led by Tommy Thorpe (10-4, 2.20 ERA) and Jeff Gold (10-2, 3.14), and then handed it off a bullpen that saw four primary relievers with ERAs below 3.00. Garrett Cleavinger (2.76 ERA in 29 1/3 innings), Trent Paddon (3.26 ERA in 49 2/3 innings) and Jordan Spencer (2.27 ERA in 35 2/3 innings) did the heavy lifting to get the ball to shut-down closer Jake Reed, who posted a 2.08 ERA while racking up 13 saves in 29 appearances.

Pick: Vanderbilt

I simply think that the Commodores’ pitching prowess will shine in this regional and will be too much for several teams who at times struggle to consistently put runs across

Preview: Louisville Regional

The Louisville Regional will consist of host Louisville, Kentucky, Kent State and Kansas.

Louisville

The Cardinals enter with a record of 45-15, 19-5 in American Athletic Conference play. They were the regular season champs with that 19-5 mark, but lost to Houston in the conference championship game. Their offensive attack boasts eight players hitting .300 or better, led by Jeff Gardner (.340/9 HR/66 RBI). This team was lethal on the base paths as well, stealing 121 bases on the season. Grant Kay (21-24) and Sutton Whiting (33-39) are the ones to watch here. The pitching staff was led by starters Kyle Funkhouser (12-2, 2.81) and Jared Ruxer (7-1, 2.27), middle relievers Cole Sturgeon (1.89 ERA in 23 appearances) and Kyle McGrath (1.54 ERA in 35 innings), and closer Nick Burdi, who posted a 0.56 ERA while recording 14 saves in 26 appearances. And Sturgeon is also one of the team’s best hitters, sporting a .324 average to along with 16 doubles, seven triples, two homers and 30 RBI.

Kentucky

The Wildcats come in with a record of 35-23 (14-16 SEC) and winners of three of four. The offense has six regulars hitting .310 or above, of course led by SEC Player of the Year and Baseball America’s National Player of the Year, A.J. Reed. The junior first baseman hit .351 with 17 doubles, one triple, 23 homers (led NCAA) and 70 RBI (4th in NCAA). Two other bats to watch are Michael Thomas (.310/8 HR/44 RBI) and Max Kuhn (.322/8/55). Reed was also the leader of the pitching staff, going 11-2 with a 2.10 ERA in 15 starts and logging 103 innings, while Jack Spencer (4-1, 1.19 ERA in 25 appearances) and Kyle Cody (4-0, 2.65 ERA in 17 appearances) were solid out of the bullpen, combining for eight saves.

Kent State

The Golden Flashes (36-21, 16-11 MAC) come in as the champions of the Mid-American Conference, their first appearance since 2012. Their offensive attack, which averages 6.5 runs per game and has five players hitting over.300, is led by junior outfielder Alex Miklos. Miklos is hitting .362 on the season with 18 doubles, seven triples, three homers and 36 RBI. Miklos is also 17-21 in stolen bases. And while they hit just 25 homers on the season, one threat to look for there Cody Koch, who led the team with seven homers, along with hitting .330 and driving in a team-leading 56 runs.

Kansas

The Jayhawks come in with a record of 34-22, posting a 15-9 mark in Big 12 play. Dakota Smith (.333/2 HR/42 RBI) and Michael Suiter (.327/3/40) lead the Jayhawk attack (5.6 runs/game),while their leading power threats are Connor McKay with nine and Tucker Tharp, who hit six bombs on the season to go along with his .305 average and 36 RBI. McKay led the team in RBI with 44. The Jayhawk pitching staff is anchored by Frank Duncan (6-3, 2.45) and Robert Kahana (4-5, 3.05), with Stephen Villines being a solid option out of the bullpen, posting a 1.64 ERA and racking up eight saves in 27 appearances

Pick: Louisville

For a good while I was leaning towards the Wildcats, but I simply can’t overlook their lack of pitching depth behind A.J. Reed. The offense is great, and Reed is a special player, but the bottom line, you need to be able to pitch to get to Omaha. The Cardinals’ quality pitching staff (2.85 ERA) along with their ability to create opportunities on the base paths to complement their great offense is what will get them through.

Preview: Tallahassee Regional

The Tallahassee Regional will consist of host Florida State, Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State and Alabama

Kennesaw State

Welcome to the club! The Owls are making the school’s first-ever NCAA appearance by virtue of winning the Atlantic Sun tournament championship over Lipscomb. They posted a 37-21 record with a 17-9 mark in conference play. Their offensive attack is one of the more potent ones in the tournament–they come in averaging almost 6.2 runs per game and hitting .301 as a team. The offense is paced by junior catcher Max Pentecost, who had one of the more memorable seasons in recent memory, hitting a staggering .423 with an NCAA-best 104 hits, including 21 doubles, two triples, nine homers and a team-leading 55 RBI. But Pentecost is far from a one-dimensional player, adding 16 stolen bases while being caught just twice. And don’t sleep on the rest of the lineup, because the Owls have two other regulars batting over .360–Bo Way (.364, 29 RBI) and Alex Liquori (.363, 42 RBI). Sophomore Brennan Morgan (.279/4 HR/39 RBI) and redshirt junior Chris McGowan (.281/4/43) both also had nice seasons. On the mound, they posted a solid 3.50 ERA, with the heavy lifting being done by sophomore Travis Bergen (7-4, 2.74 ERA in 14 starts) and sophomore Jordan Hillyer (7-3, 3.36 ERA in 15 starts). Redshirt junior Justin McCalvin was a force to be reckoned with out of the bullpen, recording 14 saves and a 2.24 ERA in 35 appearances, striking out 56 and walking 18 in 56 1/3 innings of work. Combine his performance with that of redshirt senior James Connell, who posted a 2.11 ERA and struck out 59 hitters in just 42 2/3 innings, and the Owls have a nice one-two punch in the ‘pen.

Georgia Southern

The Eagles are making their 14th appearance in the NCAA tournament, but their first since 2011. They went 39-21 overall with a 15-12 mark in Southern Conference play before beating Samford to clinch the auto-bid. Georgia Southern boasts one of the best offenses in the nation, scoring 401 runs (8th in NCAA) and averaging 6.8 runs per game. They also hit .289 as a team and belted 59 homers (3rd in NCAA). Their attack is spearheaded by senior outfielder Stryker Brown (.325/10 HR/44 RBI) and junior outfielder Aaron Mizell (.313/13/52). Those two are complimented by Kody Adams (.304/5/28), Ben Morgan (.286/5/35), Garrett Chapman (.346/7/30) and Garren Palmer (.295/5/22) to make up one of the most formidable lineups in this tournament outside of Kentucky and Louisiana-Lafayette. The Eagles also stole 88 bases this season, with Adams (11-14) and Morgan (22-29) leading the way. The pitching staff, which posted a 3.16 ERA, is led by juniors Josh Wirsu (9-3, 2.33) and Sam Howard (6-6, 2.60). Both have proven they can put hitters away, Wirsu striking out 88 in 92 2/3 innings and Howard striking out 84 in 86 2/3 innings. Sophomore Jason Richman was the go-to man out of the bullpen, appearing in 45 of the Eagles 60 games, sporting a 1.06 ERA in 84 2/3 innings of work. Ryan Frederick also had a nice season, seeing work as both a starter and reliever, posting a 4-1 record with a 3.68 ERA in 22 appearances, 10 of them starts.

Florida State

The Seminoles, the No.5 national seed, come in 43-15 overall and 21-9 in the ACC. Their ACC-leading offense (388 runs, 6.8/game) is led by sophomore D.J. Stewart (.348/7 HR/48 RBI) and junior first baseman John Nogowski (.311/5/49). Junior Jose Brizuela is another bat to look out for (.325/3/38). The offense is balanced, with five regulars at .285 or above and seven players driving in at least 25 runs. Brizuela is also a threat on the base paths (13-15 on stolen bases), as is freshman infielder Ben DeLuzio (16-18). The pitching staff, led by Luke Weaver (8-3, 2.66) and Mike Compton (7-2, 3.06) posted a 3.02 ERA, the second-best mark in the ACC. Redshirt senior Gage Smith was the go-to gut in the bullpen, making 38 appearances and had a 2.08 ERA in 60 2/3 innings of work. Two more solid performances out of the bullpen came out of sophomore Jameis Winston–yes, THAT Jameis Winston–and junior Billy Strode. The Heisman-trophy winning national-championship-winning quarterback, is also pretty good at this baseball thing, posting a 1.17 ERA in 23 appearances out of the bullpen, recording seven saves. Strode had a 2.78 ERA in 23 appearances (4 starts), striking out 45 batters in 45 1/3 innings.

Alabama

The Crimson Tide went 34-22 on the season, 15-14 in SEC play. They do come in on a bit of a downturn, having lost three of their last four games entering play in Tallahassee. The offense hits just .278, but do have five starters hitting .285 or higher, led by senior first baseman Austen Smith (.316/6 HR/36 RBI). They also have a fair bit of firepower, hitting 40 homers, led by junior catcher/outfielder Ben Moore who hit nine, along with 35 RBI and a .305 batting average. On the mound, the Tide posted 3.29 ERA, headed up by Spencer Turnbull (5-6, 2.28) and Justin Kamplain (6-3, 3.07). Jay Shaw (2-3, 3.97) was a steady middle-relief option, and Thomas Burrow was solid on the back end, going 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA and 10 saves in 22 appearances.

Pick: Florida State

This regional will be full of offense. Georgia Southern is built well to succeed in the smaller park in Tallahassee, so don’t be surprised if they give Alabama and FSU all they can handle with their firepower and underrated pitching staff–never say never, because anything can happen. But ultimately I see the Seminoles moving on. Every hitter in the lineup can contribute, and their pitching depth will be too much.

Preview: Baton Rouge Regional

The Baton Rouge Regional will consist of host LSU, Southeastern Louisiana, Bryant and Houston.

Bryant

The Bulldogs will be making their second consecutive NCAA appearance after posting a record of 42-14 (19-5 NEC) during the regular season and then winning the Northeast Conference Tournament championship to clinch the auto-bid. They are a team that dominated both sides of the game and were clearly the class of the Northeast Conference. Where to start? They sport a team average of .304, with eight regulars at .300 or higher on the season. Their powerful attack (6.8 runs/game) is led by sophomore catcher Buck McCarthy at .353. The Bulldogs also bring a little pop to the table, with 39 homers as a team on the season, led by junior outfielder Carl Anderson (7) and senior first baseman Tom Gavitt (6). On the mound, they have a 2.93 ERA, a top-30 mark in the country. Their staff is headed up by a great trio of starters in senior Craig Schlitter (10-1, 1.95), Kevin Mcavoy (9-1, 2.81) and Vaughn Hayward (9-2, 2.41). Schlitter and Mcavoy both also showed good control throughout the season, with Mcavoy walking just 25 in 93 innings and Schlitter walking just 17 batters in 87 2/3 innings. Junior Trevor Lacosse has also been spectacular out the bullpen, with a 2.94 ERA and eight saves in 21 appearances.

Houston

The Cougars come into the tournament as both the regular-season and conference tournament champions of the American Conference, with a 44-15 record (14-9 American) and a win over Central Florida in the title game to clinch the conference’s auto-bid. It is the school’s 13th-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament, but their first since 2008. The Cougars’ offensive attack is spearheaded by senior first baseman Casey Grayson with a .335 average, six homers and 48 RBI. But he’s not the only dangerous bat, with three other regular starters hitting at least .300: Kyle Survance (.315), Michael Pyeatt (.305) and Justin Montemayor (.304). The team also stole 81 bases on the year, with Survance (30-37) and Frankie Ratcliff (17-21) as the leaders of the pack. On the mound, Houston was one of the nation’s best all season long, with their 2.20 ERA good for the fourth-best mark in the country. Their starters’ trio of Aaron Garza (8-4, 2.65, 98 1/3 innings), Jake Lemoine (6-6, 2.35, 95 2/3 innings) and David Longville (1-0, 2.98, 54 1/3 innings) anchored them all year, and there wasn’t much drop-off when they went to the bullpen. Tyler Ford shouldered the heaviest load, going 8-0 with a 1.26 ERA in 24 appearances (64 innings), and then closer Chad Wellbrock closed teams out, recording 12 saves and a 1.15 ERA in 20 appearances. As a staff, the Cougars were also the second-stingiest team in college baseball, issuing just 1.77 walks per nine innings, bested only by Cal Sate Fullerton’s mark of 1.46 per nine innings.

LSU

The Tigers are no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, this being their 27th appearance in school history. Overall, LSU posted a 44-14 record, including a 17-11-1 mark in SEC play. That was good enough for second place in the conference’s Western division before defeating Florida 2-0 in the conference championship game. The Tigers’ attack averages about 6.4 runs per game and includes five starters hitting .300 or better, lead by Andrew Stevenson (.328/0 HR/25 RBI) and Connor Hale (.314/4/27). Hale also added 11 doubles on the season. But the player to watch here is Alex Bregman. Bregman sports a .301 average with a team-leading six homers. He also leads the team in RBI (44) and stolen bases (11), and is second on the team in doubles with 14. And on the mound, it all begins and ends with the All-American Aaron Nola. Nola was his typical self this season, going 10-3 with a 1.49 ERA, striking out 127 batters and walking just 26 in 109 innings while allowing just a .173 average against him. But their depth goes beyond him, with Jared Poche (9-3, 2.21) and Kyle Bouman (5-2, 2.34) both putting up great seasons as well. Out of the bullpen, Joe Broussard put up a 0.89 ERA and recorded eight saves in 30 appearances. All of these guys and more contributed to a staff which finished with a 2.42 ERA, the ninth-best mark in the country. A big reason they were so effective is because their starters typically went deep into games, relieving the stress on the bullpen, indicated by the fact that no primary reliever threw more than 33 2/3 innings.

Southeast Louisiana

The Lions of Southeast Louisiana will be appearing in the school’s third NCAA tournament, and the first since 1994. They clinched the Southland’s auto-bid by defeating Central Arkansas in the conference championship game. The Lions posted a mark of 37-23 overall, 18-12 in the Southland. The offensive attack is led by sophomore infielder Jameson Fisher, currently hitting .394 with 16 doubles, one triple and 37 RBI. And while they only have 14 homers on the season, eight of those are from junior outfielder Andrew Godbold, who is also hitting .348 with a team-leading 57 RBI. Junior infielder Brett Hoffman is another one to watch, hitting .321 with 16 doubles, one homer and 41 RBI. The pitching staff, which leaned heavily on its starters, posted a 2.95 ERA (third in SLC), led by junior Andro Cutura, who went 10-2 with a 1.72 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings. Sophomore Tate Scioneaux also had a solid season going 7-6 with a 3.11 ERA in 16 appearances, 15 of them starts. And Mason Klotz was solid out of the bullpen, owning a 1.54 ERA and picking up five saves in 20 appearances. One area which could be crippling to the Lions in this bracket could be their fielding, as they committed 88 errors this season and have just a .962 fielding percentage.

Pick: LSU

I love this bracket because it matches up some great offenses with four of the top 30 and two of the top 10 pitching staffs in the country in terms of ERA, so it’s a best-on-best region. Don’t be surprised if Houston makes a little bit of a run, but ultimately I have to give LSU the edge because of their consistent offensive attack and their experience.

Preview: Houston Regional

The Houston Regional will consist of host Rice, George Mason, Texas A&M and Texas.

George Mason

George Mason enters the tournament as champions of the Atlantic 10 conference. After a third-place regular season finish, the Patriots defeated VCU in the conference tournament title game to earn the conference’s auto-bid. It will be the school’s seventh all-time NCAA Tournament appearance, but their first since 2009. The Patriots have several weapons on offense, but the player to watch will be Luke Willis. Willis boasts a .309 batting average along with 12 doubles, three triples, two homers and 34 RBI. He is also dangerous on the base paths, with 21 stolen bases on the season while being caught just four times. The starting staff is led by Anthony Montefusco and Jared Gaynor. Montefusco led the staff with nine wins to go along with a 1.96 ERA in 15 starts, striking out 81 while walking just 14 in 101 innings. Gaynor, meanwhile, went 8-4 with a 1.67 ERA, striking out 72 while walking just 26 in 107 2/3 innings. And coming out of the bullpen will be Tyler Zombro, who was the Patriots’ most dependable reliever this season, posting a 1.96 ERA, striking out 26 and walking just nine batters in 46 innings

Rice

Ho hum. Oh look, another regional appearance by Rice under Wayne Graham. The Owls have now made a regional in 20 consecutive seasons under Graham’s steady hand, and they once again look poised to be a threat to make it to Omaha. The Owls (41-18, 23-7 C-USA) enter the NCAAs as the regular season and conference tournament champions of Conference USA, defeating UTSA 11-5 in the title game. And as always, it begins with pitching. The Owls own the nation’s 12th-best ERA at 2.50. Their very solid starters are led by the weekend trio of Blake Fox (12-0, 1.38, 65 K/26 BB), Chase McDowell (4-5, 3.60, 39 K/19 BB) and Kevin McCanna (8-3, 2.81, 60 K/21 BB). Then, if the starters wear down, there’s a solid relief core of Jon Duplantier (2.21 ERA in 57.0 IP), Zach Lemond (3-1, 1.40 ERA in 57 1/3 IP) and Matt Ditman, who owns a 1.72 ERA, nine saves and an opponent batting average of just .190 in 25 appearances. On the offensive side of the ball, the Owls’ attack is spearheaded by Skylar Ewing (.330/8 HR/46 RBI), (Shane Hoelscher (.332/0/25) and Michael Aquino (.323/7/44). And while the homer numbers aren’t there, Hoelscher has proven to be a good gap-to-gap hitter with 21 doubles, tied for the seventh-best total in the country. And while they don’t run much on the base paths, look out for Keenan Cook, who leads the team with 11 stolen bases.

Texas A&M

The Aggies enter the NCAA’s after finishing with an overall record of 33-24 and a 14-16 mark in SEC play, good for just fifth place in the conference’s Western division. But the committee took into account the assumed strength of the conference (10 participants in 2014 NCAA’s), as well as the Aggies’ 11 wins vs. ranked teams. People forget that this team did register series victories in conference play against Florida, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and LSU. The Aggies’ attack, which averages 5.4 runs per game, boasts 4 starters hitting .280 or above, led by Nick Banks (.348/2 HR/25 RBI) and Cole Lankford (.333/4/42). Another big bat to look out for is Logan Nottebrok, who led the team with eight homers on the season. On the mound, the starters are led by Grayson Long (6-2, 3.07) and Daniel Mengden (4-8, 3.55). After that, the Aggies tend go to the bullpen-by-committee approach, with no primary reliever throwing more than 39 innings this season. Andrew Vinson (2.50 ERA in 36 innings), Matt Kent (3.23, 39 innings) and Corey Ray (2.17, 29 innings) are the heavy lifters there.

Texas

This season marks the 56th appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the Longhorns, one of the winningest programs in the history of college baseball. Texas comes into the tournament on the heels of a semi-final loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament. They finished 38-18 overall with a 13-11 mark in the Big 12, putting them in fifth place in the stacked conference (5 NCAA participants). And just as in years past, offense has been hard to come by at times, as they score slightly less than 4.7 runs per game. That’s due in part to Disch-Falk field being a pitcher’s park, but the bottom line is that they don’t have the sort of speed necessary to play the small-ball style which has been a staple of Augie Garrido-coached teams. That being said, there are still several bats teams will need to shut down to beat them. It all begins with Mark Payton at the top of the order. Payton boasts a .319 batting average, 13 doubles, five triples, one homer, 35 RBI and an insane .457 on-base percentage. If he gets on base and kick starts the offense, look out. The biggest power threat to look out for will be Ben Johnson, who led the team with six homers of their 19 total. You’ll also need to watch them on the base paths, as they have 66 stolen bases this season. Johnson (20-20) and Payton (15-16) will be the biggest threats to watch in that regard. And on the mound the Longhorns are owners of the 10th-best ERA in the country (2.45). The staff is anchored by a trio of fantastic starters. Senior Nathan Thornhill (6-2, 1.51 ERA in 83 2/3 innings), junior Parker French (5-5, 2.61 ERA in 82 2/3 innings) and junior Dillon Peters (7-3, 2.13 ERA in 80 1/3 innings) might be one of the best trios in all the country. Junior Lukas Schiraldi also had a nice year, his first with the Longhorns, posting a 7-3 record and a respectable 4.15 ERA in 12 appearances, all starts. Then out of the bullpen, sophomores John Curtiss, Travis Duke (0.00 ERA in 21 innings) and Chad Hollingsworth (1.69 ERA in 37 1/3 innings) have all had great seasons, Curtiss in particular. He has become the go-to guy late in games, posting a 1.51 ERA and recording eight of the team’s 16 saves.

Pick: Rice

In an old Southwest Conference rivalry regional that features two of the nation’s premiere pitching staffs, I’ll give the Owls an edge over the Longhorns simply because I believe in their offense more than the Longhorns’, and that combination of great pitching and solid hitting will be enough to get them through to Super Regional play.