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SUPER REGIONAL COVERAGE: SCHEDULE/RESULTS | PAIRINGS | MESSAGE BOARDS
After the many miles traveled by some teams last week, the Road to Omaha either continues or comes to an abrupt halt for 16 teams this weekend.
With the NCAA Super Regionals around the corner, we take an in-depth look at how each team stacks up against the other.
In our last NCAA Super Regional preview, we took an inside look at the Austin Super Regional. Now it's time to take an in-depth look at the Santa Clara Super Regional, which features Dallas Baptist (42-18) and California (35-21).
For Dallas Baptist, there's no doubt it should score some runs against California this weekend. However, the bullpen is the big question mark. The Patriots have a stud reliever in Chris Haney, but otherwise have some very average options. Those guys must rise to the occasion if called upon this weekend.
For California, its starting pitching and bullpen should be fine this weekend. But with DBU having a potent offense, the Golden Bears likely will need to be solidly productive at some point. That means the offense, which stepped up in the Houston Regional last weekend, must emulate those performances.
WHO HAS THE EDGE? Austin |
Chapel Hill |
Charlottesville |
Columbia |
Gainesville |
Nashville |
Tallahassee
| Santa Clara Super Regional: Who has the edge? |
| More on NCAA Super Regionals: Schedule/results
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| Starting pitching |
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California has a tendency to use different starters at times, but it enters the weekend with the edge in this category with more potential solid starters. The Golden Bears have a very solid ace pitcher in Erik Johnson. Johnson has a 2.91 ERA in 96 innings. He has struck out 96 and walked 50 and teams are hitting him at a .194 clip. Kevin Miller, Dixon Anderson and Kyle Porter also started last weekend. Miller has a 2.62 ERA in 79 innings, Anderson has a 3.90 ERA in 67 innings and Porter has a 1.62 ERA in 50 innings. Also keep an eye on talented sophomore Justin Jones, who has a 3.09 ERA in 119 2/3 innings ... Dallas Baptist has a very solid ace pitcher in Jared Stafford. He has started 15 games and has a 3.03 ERA in 101 innings. He also has struck out 60 and walked 33 and teams are hitting him at a .239 clip. Also keep an eye on No. 2 starter Brandon Williamson, who has a 3.98 ERA in 115 1/3 innings with teams hitting .296 against him. Meanwhile, Will Lane and Jordan Staples are options to start Game 3. Lane has a 4.58 ERA in 37 1/3 innings and Staples has a 5.37 ERA in 53 2/3 innings.
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| Bullpen |
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If there's one area that could differentiate Dallas Baptist and California, it's the bullpen and overall consistency of the pitching staff. The Patriots enter the weekend with a 4.68 ERA while the Golden Bears have a 2.88 ERA against superior competition for much of the season. The Bears don't have an incredibly deep bullpen, but they have some sold options. Kyle Porter, who started last weekend and likely will start again this weekend, has a 1.62 ERA in 50 innings, Matt Flemer has made 26 appearances and has a 2.14 ERA in 33 2/3 innings, Kevin Miller has a 2.62 ERA in 79 innings and Logan Scott has a 3.10 ERA in 40 2/3 innings ... Dallas Baptist has several arms in its bullpen, but it lacks several quality arms in the worst way. The Patriots have an exceptional closer in Chris Haney, who has recorded 15 saves and has a 2.34 ERA in 34 2/3 innings. But after Haney, the Patriots don't have a single reliever with an ERA below 4.50. That could be an issue as the weekend progresses. Keep an eye on Will Lane and Michael Smith, who have ERAs of 4.58 and 4.88, respectively.
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| Offense |
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Both California and Dallas Baptist did fantastic jobs in their respective NCAA Regionals last week of getting key hits during crucial situations. Though Cal finished the Houston Regional on a high note offensively, DBU enters the weekend with the better offensive lineup. The Patriots have the nation's best player most haven't heard of in outfielder Jason Krizan. Krizan is hitting a team-high .419 with 10 home runs and 81 RBIs. He's also slugging .714 and has a .502 on-base percentage. Additionally, Krizan is 13-for-17 in stolen bases. Landon Anderson is hitting .358 with seven home runs and 58 RBIs, Tyler Robbins is hitting .325 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs, Ryan Behmanesh is hitting .323 with four home runs and 51 RBIs and Joel Hutter is hitting .308 with nine home runs and 49 RBIs. Also keep an eye on Duncan McAlpine, who has slammed nine home runs this spring ... Though DBU leads the way in the offensive category, the Golden Bears certainly aren't a bad hitting team. They're hitting .286 with Tony Renda leading the way, hitting .335 with 14 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 41 RBIs. Austin Booker is hitting .313 with a home run and 24 RBIs, Chadd Krist is hitting .306 with a home run and 40 RBIs, Devon Rodriguez is hitting .292 with five home runs and 33 RBIs, Chad Bunting was solid in the Houston Regional and is hitting .278 with six home runs and 20 RBIs and Marcus Semien and Vince Bruno are hitting .272 and .301, respectively.
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| Defense |
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Both Dallas Baptist and California field the ball at a high level, as both teams enter the weekend with identical fielding percentages of .974. But going much deeper than actual numbers, there's a reason the Golden Bears have a slight advantage in the defensive category. For California, catcher Chadd Krist is a solid backstop. Krist has an above average arm, is very athletic and is a good receiver and thrower to second base. Second baseman Tony Renda has been stable while shortstop Marcus Semien is an above average shortstop. The Golden Bears also are strong at third base with consistent Mitch Delfino leading the way. In the outfield, there are no concerns with Austin Booker, Darrel Matthews or Chad Bunting ... For Dallas Baptist, catcher Duncan McAlpine is more known for his power at the plate, but he's a serviceable catcher. Going around the infield, second baseman Tyler Robbins is nearly flawless at second base, first baseman Ryan Behmanesh is stable at first, shortstop Joel Hutter is just OK at shortstop and third baseman Kenny Hatcher is serviceable. The outfielder also is fine with Landon Anderson and Jason Krizan leading the way. No team has a substantial advantage in this category.
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| Intangibles |
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This is the toughest category to pick in this series. Dallas Baptist wasn't expected to do much entering the NCAA postseason, but played exceptionally well in the Fort Worth Regional last weekend. California, meanwhile, fought through the loser's bracket at the Houston Regional to take care of business. In other words, both teams are playing with an extreme level of confidence. Considering neither team has experienced a wealth of postseason success in past years, no teams has an edge from an experience standpoint. That boils down the category to the home-field advantage issue. California is hosting the NCAA Regional on the campus of Santa Clara University, but playing nearby in California still is an advantage for the Golden Bears. For that reason, they get the edge in this category.
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Kendall Rogers is the college baseball editor for Perfect Game USA and has covered the sport for over 10 seasons. He can be reached at kendall@perfectgame.org