Lubbock Super Regional Preview

Texas Tech

The Red Raiders (43-19) is coming off of its first-ever regional victory in the Coral Gables Regional.They went 3-1 in the regional, knocking off Columbia (3-2) and host Miami (3-0, 4-0) twice. What sticks out to me is how well they hit in all counts. No strikes, two strikes, it doesn’t matter. Six players on the team have walked more than they’ve struck out, so their plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone is a big reason why the offense can be so dangerous. But the Raiders’ powerful bats were stymied for the better part of the weekend, as they scored just 11 runs and collected just 27 hits in the four games, a far cry from their averages of 6.4 runs and nearly 10 hits per game during the regular season and conference tournament. But more impressive was the pitching staff, which allowed a TOTAL of four runs in four games. And it was thanks in large part to the starters–Freshman Dylan Dusek (8 IP, 0 R), freshman Ryan Moseley (6 IP, 0 ER) and junior Cameron Smith coming through with incredible performances, Smith’s being a complete-game three-hit shutout of Miami in the regional clincher. It may be their first time, but the Red Raiders are as dangerous as any team left in the field right now with their firepower and ability to not shoot themselves in the foot (.981 fielding percentage.)

College of Charleston

The Cougars (44-17) are making their second-ever Super Regional appearance, and their first since 2006 by virtue of sweeping  the Gainesville Regional, defeating host Florida (3-2) and Long Beach State (6-3, 4-2) twice. They may not look scary, as they scored just 13 runs on 18 hits in the three games, but what’s dangerous about this team is this–with a team ERA of 2.78 and a .972 fielding percentage, this team isn’t going to beat itself. The offense may not be potent, but they are opportunistic and capitalize on the mistakes you make. Case in point was their first win over Long Beach State. They scored six runs on just FOUR hits. How? The 49ers committed two errors in the game, and the Cougars didn’t miss the chance. And in their 4-2 regional final win, another error paved the way for a huge unearned run during the middle innings, and forced the LBSU starter from the game. And as has been the theme throughout these previews, the Cougars got great performances on the mound all weekend, none better than freshman Tyler Thornton’s complete-game performance in the regional final against Long Beach. Thornton was later named the Regional MVP

Pick: Texas Tech

What happened for the Cougars in the Gainesville Regional was that they took advantage of opponents’ mistakes. They really haven’t shown much of an ability to string hits together this season, with a .258 team batting average. And I simply don’t see Texas Tech, sporting that .981 fielding percentage, making enough mistakes or giving the Cougars enough opportunities to outscore the Red Raiders’ powerful offense. Now, Charleston is one of the hotter teams in college baseball, coming off their CAA championship before sweeping through Gainesville, and they have a big equalizer in their pitching staff with that 2.78 ERA. But ultimately I see the Raiders moving on to Omaha and ending the Cougars’ run. Then again, after those regionals we just saw, would any upset result REALLY shock anyone?

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.