2,074 MLB PLAYERS | 14,476 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
College  | Story  | 6/12/2016

Cats stun ‘dogs, advance to CWS

Patrick Ebert     
Photo: Arizona Athletics




Friday Recap | 2016 Super Regional Preview


Starkville Super Regional

For most of the day on Saturday it looked as though all of the teams would have to wait until Sunday to see a team punch their ticket to Omaha. That is until Arizona mounted not one, not two but three late-inning pushes that allowed them to overcome a 5-1 deficit heading into the bottom of the eighth and emerge with a 6-5 victory after 11 innings.

Ryan Aguilar’s three-run home run in the eighth inning instilled new life into the Arizona team, as they entered the inning down by four runs. Alfonso Rivas hit a run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings, although Arizona was threatening for more than just the one run as the Wildcats had the bases loaded with just one out before Mississippi State wiggled out of the jam.

However, they weren’t able to wiggle out of a similar jam in the 11th, as Cesar Salazar hit an RBI single (his third hit of the day) to right field with the bases loaded and one out that allowed Arizona to walk off as winners of the Starkville Super Regional. The Wildcats return to Omaha for the first time since 2012, the year they won it all, and is especially notable since they are doing so under the guidance of first year head coach Jay Johnson.

Mississippi State starter Austin Sexton pitched a fine game for the Bulldogs, scattering seven hits and a walk while fanning six Wildcat batters over 5 1/3 innings. With the loss MSU's magical season comes to a close with a 44-18-1 overall record.


Louisville Super Regional

The Cardinals were stymied by UC Santa Barbara ace Shane Bieber on Saturday, who out-dueled Louisville ace Brendan McKay in the Gauchos 4-2 victory to take the series lead. Bieber allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out seven over seven innings of work before handing the ball over the live-armed UCSB closer Kyle Nelson. Nelson delivered two scoreless frames to nail down the victory.

McKay was cruising in the opening innings, doing a really good job of sequencing between his upper-80s fastball and low-70s curve. He did manage to last eight innings in the game, and didn’t walk a batter while striking out nine, but he did give up four runs – single tallies in the third and fifth sandwich and a two-run fourth – to pick up the loss (12-4). With the win Bieber moves to 12-3 on the season and Nelson recorded his ninth save.

Clay Fisher and Kyle Plantier each had RBI doubles for the Gauchos while Austin Bush hit a solo shot. Louisville third baseman Blake Tiberi drove in both runs for the Cardinals, hitting a solo home run of his own in the second that was the first run of the game and an RBI single in the sixth.


Coral Gables Super Regional

Boston College was able to even their series with Miami with a 5-3 victory on Saturday. Mike King pitched well enough over six innings to move to 8-4 on the year while the Eagles offense jumped on Hurricanes starter Danny Garcia for four runs (only two of which were earned) in the fourth inning.

The scoring began with a Donovan Casey solo home run (his first of the year) to open the frame and finished when two runs scored on an error by right fielder Willie Abreu when he misplayed a single off the bat of Mitch Birgas that ended up rolling all of the way to the wall.

Zack Collins hit another solo home run in this game, his 15th of the year, as part of Miami’s two-run top of the fourth.


Lubbock Super Regional

Texas Tech also evened their series, needing 13 innings to take a 3-1 win over East Carolina. Eric Gutierrez may have only gone 1-for-6 but that one hit was a big one, a two-run single hit up the middle in the top of the 13th that gave the Red Raiders a two-run lead and the eventual win.

For as good as almost all of the pitchers were that took the mound in this contest it was Texas Tech reliever Robert Dugger that stood out the most. Dugger moved to 6-0 on the season with five scoreless, two-hit innings in relief.

Travis Watkins continues to see the ball extremely well in the middle of the Pirates’ order, getting on base four times with an RBI single and three walks.

The two teams will play an elimination game on Sunday.


Columbia Super Regional

A pair of third-round draft picks were part of a pitchers’ duel that ended up being a 5-1 Oklahoma State victory over South Carolina. Thomas Hatch, the third-round pick of the Chicago Cubs on Friday, moved to 8-2 on the year with seven scoreless frames, while Brewers third-rounder Braden Webb pitched well over 7 2/3 but was saddled with the loss (10-6). Webb allowed only two runs, and only one of those was earned.

Ryan Sluder hit a solo home run to open the scoring in the Cowboys’ two-run third and was later followed by a Corey Hassel RBI single. Collin Theroux hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to give Oklahoma State some breathing room, as the Gamecocks didn’t cross home plate until the bottom of the ninth, when Dom Thompson-Williams went deep.

With the win Oklahoma State takes a 1-0 lead in the series and could advance to Omaha on Sunday with another win over South Carolina.


Gainesville Super Regional

FSU sophomore righthander Drew Carlton pounded the strike zone with a steady diet of upper-80s to low-90s fastballs, while mixing in his usual hard-biting slider, while shutting down the Florida Gators’ offense with a dominant complete game 3-0 shutout victory. Carlton allowed just two base hits while striking out five.

The Seminoles only mustered six base hits of their own, scoring a run in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk by Tyler Holton and two more in the fifth on a Taylor Walls double and a fielding error by second baseman Deacon Liput.

Florida State needs one more win to advance to their first College World Series since 2012.


College Station Super Regional

Texas A&M was able to even their series with TCU on Saturday with a convincing 7-1 win. Kyle Simonds improved to 11-3 by allowing just one run on four hits and three walks while striking out six in 7 2/3 innings. Jace Vines went the rest of the way with 1 1/3 scoreless, but not perfect, innings as TCU refused to go down without a fight.

The Aggies offense was efficient, scoring their seven runs on nine base hits. Their three-run first inning provide to be all they would need to secure the win – and force an elimination game on Sunday – although they added two more runs in both the sixth and eighth innings for good measure. J.B. Moss set the tone by leading off the game with a home run, and Michael Barash, Jonathan Moroney and Hunter Melton also hit home runs in this game.

Mitchell Traver, who pitched his best game of the year a week ago in Regioanl play, took the loss, giving up five runs (three of which were earned) in 5 2/3 innings. Brian Howard is expected to take the mound for TCU on Sunday with hopes of returning to Omaha for the third consecutive year.


Baton Rouge Super Regional

Coastal Carolina took a big lead over Super Regional host Louisiana State by scoring four runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh as part of an 11-8 win. It was their first Super Regional win in five attempts in program history as the Chanticleers offense continues to put up huge, crooked numbers against their opponents. Last weekend’s hero, Seth Lancaster, enjoyed another big game at the plate by going 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and one driven in. Connor Owings, Zach Remillard and G.K. Young all hit home runs as Coastal once again flexed their offensive muscle in a convincing win.

LSU starter Alex Lange appeared to be cruising until the sixth inning, as he ended up allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks. Coastal continued to pile on LSU’s bullpen with five more runs scored.

Mike Morrison once again did his thing by providing three innings of relief, the first two of which were scoreless, while allowing just two base hits. The Chanticleers will look to make quick work of the host LSU Tigers by sending Alex Cunningham to the mound on Sunday to square off against crafty lefthander Jared Poche.
PG Special Events
Travel, Lodging, Entertainment
PG Partners
Recommended
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2024 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.