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College  | Story | 6/7/2018

2018 Super Regional Preview

Photo: Kody Clemens (Texas Athletics)




Regional Recap
| College Top 25 | College Player Database


Below the eight Super Regional matchups are listed, starting with the four sites that will be played Friday through Sunday and followed by the four to be played Saturday through Monday.


Friday through Sunday Super Regionals (right side of the bracket):

Fullerton, Calif.: Washington at Cal State Fullerton
Corvallis, Ore.: Minnesota at Oregon State
Chapel Hill, N.C.: Stetson at North Carolina
Nashville, Tenn.: Mississippi State at Vanderbilt


Fullerton Super Regional | Washington at Cal State Fullerton

The Titans play their brand of baseball better than anyone. They have now beaten Stanford twice in Regional play in as many years and also have Super Regional road upsets over Louisville (2015) and Long Beach State (2017) in recent seasons.

Their brand of baseball starts with pitching and defense and continues to a grinding, small ball approach on offense. They have only hit 13 home runs as a team this year, and their team on-base percentage (.343) is almost as high as their slugging (.351).  But the top of the order has been effective, as Hank LoForte and Mitchell Berryhill have done a nice job getting on base for the team’s primary run producers, Ruben Cardenas and Daniel Cope.

Staff ace Colton Eastman has enjoyed a very successful college career thus far, and not surprisingly the team started to catch fire when he really started to get dialed in beginning in early March. In every start but one since then he has thrown at least seven innings and he recorded his 10th win of the season last Friday against Baylor with yet another strong performance.

For as good as Eastman has been the performances of Tommy Wilson and Tanner Bibee who stepped up the most, as each threw six-plus against Stanford. Blake Workman is aptly named coming out of the bullpen and Brett Conine has 10 saves serving as Fullerton’s closer.

Washington has an effective ace of their own in Joe DeMers, who got his Huskies off to a good start in the Conway Regional by out-dueling UConn ace Mason Feole. While Jordan Jones and Lucas Knowles each have the ability to pitch deep into games, Washington has a pair of bullpen aces of their own in Alex Hardy and Stevie Emanuels who each made over 30 relief appearances this year. Emanuels pitched in each of Washington’s three wins over the weekend in Conway, tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings while picking up the W in their Regional-clinching victory Sunday.

Also similar to Cal State Fullerton, offense isn’t Washington’s calling card but Joe Wainhouse did have a big year, batting .314-17-56 while serving as the team’s DH and cleanup hitter.


Corvallis Super Regional | Minnesota at Oregon State

Minnesota’s top two starters make them dangerous in a three-game series, as redshirt junior Reggie Meyer and freshman Patrick Fredrickson have been very effective over the second half of the season, combining to go 17-3. Each has the ability to go deep into ballgames with well-rounded three-pitch repertoires.

Both Fredrickson and fellow freshman Max Meyer, Minnesota’s closer, received valuable on-the-job postseason training last weekend against UCLA. Fredrickson didn’t have his best stuff but battled through some tough innings and managed to keep his team in the game through six. Meyer took over in the eighth and quite simply blew the Bruins’ batters away with an electric fastball/slider combination, working three scoreless and nearly unblemished innings until the Gophers found a way to win it in extras.

The starting lineup also benefitted from playing advanced level of competition, never once backing down and routinely grinding out at-bats. While shortstop Terrin Vavra serves as the heart and soul on both offense and defense, he and five other regulars bat lefthanded, a key matchup to follow considering staff ace Luke Heimlich and Oregon State’s three top bullpen arms (Jake Mullholland, Brandon Eisert and Jordan Britton) throw lefthanded.

Getting off to a good start will be key for Minnesota, as while they do have some more-than-competent bullpen arms they can’t match Oregon State’s depth. Heimlich and Bryce Fehmel (who are a combined 25-2) will start opposite Reggie Meyer and Fredrickson, but Kevin Abel’s development as the team’s third starter has been particularly critical for the Beavers’ continued postseason success.

All of that is stated before even mentioning the high-powered Oregon State offense, a unit that is slashing .319/.416/.488 as a team. They’re unmatched up the middle on defense and at the top of the lineup with Steven Kwan, Cadyn Grenier, Nick Madrigal and Adley Rutschman to go along with their slugging corner outfielder Trevor Larnach driving them all home.

A hot start, not making mistakes and making the most of however many opportunities they’re granted will be key as to whether or not Minnesota can win this Super Regional on Oregon State’s home turf.


Chapel Hill Super Regional | Stetson at North Carolina

One of only two Super Regional matchups that includes two original, nationally-seeded Regional host teams, Chapel Hill will see North Carolina’s high-powered offense go up against Stetson’s nation-leading pitching staff. Both teams easily handled their competition in Regional play by going 3-0, with North Carolina out-scoring their opponents 34-14 and Stetson winning by a 29-7 margin.

Stetson’s deep rotation of arms allowed two interesting things to happen last weekend: The only appearance Sunday starter Mitchell Senger made was out of the bullpen in the first game and closer Brooks Wilson – who saved 20 games in 31 relief appearances prior to the Deland Regional – didn’t make a single pitching appearance. Instead Wilson went a combined 7-for-12 with four runs scored and seven driven in serving as the Hatters’ DH and cleanup hitter.

Regardless of how the pitching shakes out for Stetson this weekend, they have four legitimate starting options to be creative with and one of the best closers in college baseball.

North Carolina erupted for 11 runs on Friday and 19 more on Sunday, and first baseman Michael Busch scored five of those runs and brought home nine others. UNC’s lineup has a fair balance of lefthanded and righthanded hitters, which could play into some interesting matchup situations considering Stetson’s only lefthander among their regulars is Senger.

The Tar Heels starting staff may lack the stability of the Hatters’ but they have a few things playing to their favor. The first is that Cooper Criswell has proven to be a more-than-competent staff ace over the last month-plus since being moved into a starting role. The second is that Gianluca Dalatri recently returned from an injury that kept him out for most of the season and he has picked up the win the last two weeks, the first against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament and the second against Houston on Saturday.

North Carolina’s third starter, Austin Bergner, has stepped up to the occasion numerous times this season with double-digit strikeout performances against Pittsburgh, Florida State and NC State. Throw in a deep bullpen and UNC definitely has the arms to compete as long as the lineup does their part.


Nashville Super Regional | Mississippi State at Vanderbilt

Mississippi State had one of the more remarkable runs through Regional play, and after they got destroyed by Oklahoma on Friday and entered the bottom of the ninth inning after a two-and-a-half hour rain delay against Florida State on Saturday, down 2-0, they suddenly decided to come to life.

Elijah MacNamee was the star of it all, hitting a three-run walk-off bomb against FSU that kept MSU’s season alive. They ended up eliminating all three of the other participants at the Tallahassee Regional, starting with the host Seminoles before taking care of Samford and getting revenge on Oklahoma, twice.

While the offense provided the fireworks the pitching staff more than held their own, at least after the first game of the series that saw lefthanded ace Konnor Pilkington get shelled. Ethan Small, Jacob Billingsley, Cole Gordon and J.P. France all contributed meaningful innings, while Riley Self made three scoreless relief appearances, picking up a win and a save along the way.

Vanderbilt’s three games lacked the drama that Mississippi State’s did, largely because the Commodores were so good, making quick work of both St. John’s on Friday and Clemson on both Saturday and Sunday.

The lineup can score runs in bunches, with four dynamic freshmen sandwich in between experienced run producers Ethan Paul, Stephen Scott and Connor Kaiser. Kaiser enjoyed the game of his career on Sunday with a 5-for-7, 10 RBI performance that included three home runs.

While scoring runs hasn’t been a problem preventing them has with plenty of interesting arms that possess swing-and-miss stuff yet lingering issues with consistency.

Sophomore righthander Drake Fellows has been the most consistent of their hurlers while serving as the team’s staff ace, tossing seven scoreless frames on Friday. How Vanderbilt uses Patrick Raby will be interesting to follow as there have been four instances this year in which they have used him as a long man out of the ‘pen, with one of those times coming last Saturday against Clemson.

Speaking of the bullpen, the team’s hardest throwers, Reid Schaller and Chandler Day, have emerged nicely as the team’s set-up man and closer, as Day picked up a save in each of Vanderbilt’s first two wins last weekend.



Saturday through Monday Super Regionals (left side of the bracket):

Gainesville, Fla.: Auburn at Florida
Austin, Texas: Tennessee Tech at Texas
Fayetteville, Ark.: South Carolina at Arkansas
Lubbock, Texas: Duke at Texas Tech


Gainesville Super Regional | Auburn at Florida

This all-SEC matchup is a fascinating one as it includes four of the highest drafted college players in this year’s MLB Draft: Casey Mize (1st overall, Tigers), Jonathan India (5th overall, Reds), Brady Singer (18th overall, Royals) and Jackson Kowar (33rd overall, Royals). Florida and Auburn did match up in the regular season with the Gators winning the series in Gainesville two games to one.

One of the highlights of that late April series was the duel between Mize and Singer. Singer stole the show that night, winning 3-1, but both arms were plenty impressive, as they usually are. Ironically, India hit a first inning home run off of Mize that proved to be the difference. In theory, the Mize/Singer pitching matchup will happen again in Game 1.

Auburn is led by an elite group of four freshmen: right fielder Steven Williams, DH Edouard Julien, righthanded starter Tanner Burns and closer Cody Greenhill. Williams and Julien are two dynamic lefthanded hitters who have combined for an incredible 28 home runs and 117 RBI. Burns and Greenhill have combined for several big wins in SEC play, with Burns taking the first half of the game and Greenhill finishing the game. Burns is the prototypical weekend starter with a big four-seam fastball and equally big game moxie, whereas Greenhill dominates with a power sinker in the low-90s. Keep an eye on shortstop Will Holland who has enjoyed a breakout sophomore season.

The Gators held off FAU in Game 7 of the Gainesville Regional and that was a relief considering that Florida had lost six of seven coming into the NCAA Tournament. While catcher J.J. Schwarz’ hand injury remains a major concern, the play of Jonah Girand in the Regional was a massive bright spot. Will Dalton homered and seemed to regain momentum over the weekend as well.

There are two enigmas that will come into focus in this fantastic Super Regional matchup: The Gators, who did not make a single error in Omaha last year, have committed 13 in their last seven games (India has six of them). On the other hand, Auburn is just 5-5 in Mize’s last 10 starts.


Austin Super Regional | Tennessee Tech at Texas

This Texas group has been a team of streaks: the Longhorns won six of their last seven games to win the Big 12 regular season championship, then went 0-2 in the conference tournament and then went 3-0 to win the Austin Regional.

The Longhorns are led by Golden Spikes finalist Kody Clemens, and when things are going well for the Longhorns, he is always in the middle of it. Last weekend, Clemens hit two critical home runs in the winner’s bracket game versus Texas A&M. He and David Hamilton form one of the most productive middle infields in the country, both offensively and defensively.

Texas’ inconsistent pitching performed at a very high level throughout the Regional and a repeat of that will be needed to dispose of a very game Tennessee Tech club. David Pierce deployed his relievers in very short stints and it will be interesting to see if that type of matchup game will be effective versus a lineup as deep as Tennessee Tech’s.

Matt Bragga’s Golden Eagles went into one of college baseball’s most electric atmospheres and left Swayze Field with a Regional championship. Tennessee Tech brings a loud array of statistics to the party: a 52-10 record with an astounding 134 home runs as this lineup has seven regulars with double-digit round trippers.

There was some question as to whether or not Tennessee Tech would have enough pitching to handle the loser’s bracket, but yeoman-like efforts from Travis Moths, Ethan Roberts and Alex Hursey were the difference makers.

Offensively, Chase Chambers is a run producer deluxe (.404-17-82) and he sports an incredible 47-to-24 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Chambers was named Most Outstanding Player of the Oxford Regional. Kevin Strohschein is another name to know here as he leads the club with 18 home runs.

There are several potential twists to this Super Regional. First, Tennessee Tech used their pitching staff in unorthodox roles in Oxford; will there be any hangover? Second, will cavernous Disch-Falk Field, even with its fences recently moved in, neutralize the power of the Golden Eagles? Finally, if these games are close late, will Tennessee Tech’s decided advantage in the bullpen play out?


Fayetteville Super Regional | South Carolina at Arkansas

Arkansas may have caught a break in their Regional as Southern Miss was forced to throw Nick Sandlin in their opening game versus DBU. Or maybe it just doesn’t matter because the Razorbacks are virtually unbeatable at Baum Stadium as they are now 33-3 at home.

Dave Van Horn’s club looked on point last weekend, outscoring their opponents 24-7 over three games. The freshman duo of Heston Kjerstad and Casey Martin continues to dominate from the middle of the lineup and Carson Shaddy has put together a special final season to punctuate his outstanding Arkansas career.

One of the concerns around Arkansas was the bullpen but the trio of Barrett Loseke, Jake Reindl and Matt Cronin has stepped forward and quelled those fears. Defense might have been the other concern but shortstop Jax Biggers’ return from injury solidifies the middle of the diamond.

The final and most important issue is Game 3 starter. While Blaine Knight and Kacey Murphy were outstanding last weekend, Isaiah Campbell did not get out of the first inning on Sunday. Campbell has plenty of stuff but his inconsistent and injury-plagued season continues.

South Carolina is a team that has consistently responded to adversity this season. After losing four of their first five SEC series, the Gamecocks’ won five straight series to finish SEC play. And in their first Regional game, it took a late three-run home run from defensive replacement Danny Blair to overcome Ohio State. This resilience is a direct reflection upon skipper Mark Kingston’s leadership.

This squad leans heavily on an older and talented position player group. Blair was named the Greenville Regional’s Most Outstanding Player while LT Tolbert, Carlos Cortes and Justin Row were all named to the All-Regional team. As a team, South Carolina has 72 home runs and fields at an incredible .982 clip.

The big key for the Gamecocks will be pitching. On paper, the South Carolina pitching staff will be a heavy underdog against the vaunted Arkansas lineup this weekend. That said, Cody Morris was outstanding in Greenville and Adam Hill has the talent to beat anyone on the right night. 


Lubbock Super Regional | Duke at Texas Tech

Texas Tech emerged from a stacked Lubbock Regional and they ran roughshod over the field in surprisingly dominant fashion. The Red Raider offense carried the day, averaging 10 runs per game in their three Regional games. It is remarkable that Tim Tadlock has this group just two wins from Omaha considering that Preseason All-America Steven Gingery was lost for the season with Tommy John surgery.

The first half of the Texas Tech lineup can take over a game. Leadoff hitter Gabe Holt is having one of the best freshman seasons in the country and he is an old school run-scoring menace. Josh Jung has had a huge year and the Red Raiders’ three-hole hitter could be a first round pick in 2019. Grant Little was picked 74th overall by the Padres on Monday night and he is a dynamic talent. Finally, Zach Rheams had a huge Regional with three home runs and seven runs batted in.

One thing to keep an eye on: when the Red Raiders’ bullpen is effective, they are very difficult to beat. This is a team that won just seven of its last 16 games headed into Regionals and back-end pitching was a big part of the struggle.

Duke put together an excellent regular season, winning 40 games and nearly getting into the hosting conversation. And that made the Blue Devils’s horrific first 17 innings of Regional play all the more shocking. Chris Pollard’s club needed an 11-run ninth inning against Campbell in their elimination game to extend their season. But that seemed to turn the switch as Duke never looked back and swept their way through the loser’s bracket in Athens.

Duke’s elite bullpen saved the day in Athens and will be expected to play a major role in Lubbock. Jack Labosky and Ethan DeCaster are veteran arms with deception while Bryce Jarvis and Graeme Stinson are underclassmen with plus stuff. Despite this back-end strength, Duke’s starting pitching will need to improve dramatically if they are to advance to Omaha.

Griffin Conine (52nd overall, Blue Jays) and Jimmy Herron (3rd round, Cubs) are the most famous of the Duke hitters but it was Chris Crabtree who was named Most Outstanding Player in Athens.




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