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College  | Story  | 6/12/2017

CWS Set, Super Regional Recap

Patrick Ebert     
Photo: Ross Obley



Super Regional Preview | College Top 25 | Player/Pitcher of the Week

With the completion of Super Regional play the 2017 College World Series is set. Here are the matchups:

Bracket 1 (begins Saturday)
Oregon State vs. Cal State Fullerton
Louisiana State vs. Florida State

Bracket 2 (begins Sunday)
Louisville vs. Texas A&M
Texas Christian vs. Florida

Six of the teams participating in the 2017 College World Series were ranked among Perfect Game’s top seven preseason teams:

Texas Christian (1)
Louisiana State (2)
Florida State (3)
Florida (4)
Louisville (5)
Oregon State (6)

Cal State Fullerton opened the year ranked 15th while Texas A&M was just on the outside of the Top 25 at No. 26.

Below are details of each of the eight Super Regional matchups as well as further details on the Player and Pitcher of the Week as follows:

Perfect Game/Rawlings National Player of the Week: Taylor Walls, Florida State
Perfect Game/Rawlings National Pitcher of the Week: Bryce Fehmel, Oregon State


Corvallis Super Regional

The mighty Oregon State juggernaut continues to roll, moving to a remarkable 54-4 overall on the season on Saturday after sweeping Vanderbilt in two games to advance to the College World Series. After Jake Thompson delivered 7 2/3 strong innings on Friday Bryce Fehmel delivered a complete game gem on Saturday, and K.J. Harrison hit a three-run home run in each of the two games, Harrison also added a bases-loaded walk in Game 2, finishing the two-game series with seven RBI.

While dazzling pitching performances certainly aren’t that surprising for Oregon State, whose 1.78 team ERA heading into the weekend was nearly a full run lower than the second place team in the nation (UIC at 2.65), Fehmel was masterful on Saturday opposite Vanderbilt’s Kyle Wright. Although he did allow a pair of runs, only one was earned, and he needed only 104 pitches to go the distance while striking out 10 without issuing a walk. The outing was especially impressive considering Fehmel hasn’t seen much time on the mound since Drew Rasmussen’s return, as this was only his first appearance since May 28 – a one-inning relief outing against Abilene Christian – and his first start since May 6 against Cal.

For his dominant, CWS clinching outing, Bryce Fehmel is the Perfect Game/Rawlings Super Regional Pitcher of the Week.


Long Beach Super Regional

After Long Beach State’s 3-0 win over Cal State Fullerton Friday the Dirtbags were 6-1 against their Big West rival and appeared to be in the drivers’ seat, as the host team, to make it to Omaha. However, the Titans came roaring back on Saturday, winning 12-0, and then squeaked out a 2-1 victory on Sunday to spoil LBSU’s plans and return to Omaha for the second time in three years and the 18th time in program history. Hank LoForte proved to be the offensive hero for Fullerton in this game, hitting a two-run single in the fourth inning that proved to be all of the runs they would need, despite the fact that they mustered only two hits all day. The Long Beach offense didn’t fare much better with four.

Fullerton used a total of five pitchers in the three games (LBSU used five pitchers in the first game). Staff ace Connor Seabold worked the first 5 1/3 on Friday despite picking up the loss opposite Dirtbags’ ace Darren McCaughan, before giving way to Jack Pabich who worked the final 2 2/3 frames. John Gavin went the distance in Saturday’s blowout and Colton Eastman tossed another dandy on Sunday, allowing just one hit and one unearned run over a season-high seven innings. Closer Brett Conine worked the final two innings in the CWS clinching win for the Titans, picking up his 15th save in the process.


College Station Super Regional

While Davidson’s magical run in the postseason may be over, they certainly made things interesting in College Station. In the first game they overcame a 6-0 deficit and eventually tied the game in the top of the ninth to force extra innings in a game that went 15 frames. In the second game they had what seemed to be a commanding 6-2 leading going into the top of the ninth only to see the Aggies explode for seven runs on their way to a 12-6 victory. For as hard fought of a run Davidson had, somewhat overlooked is Texas A&M’s own charge through the posteason, who beat three very tough opponents last weekend to even be able to host Davidson in the Supers.

The Aggies bats certainly came alive over the weekend, pounding out 18 hits on Friday (albeit in 15 innings) and 11 more on Saturday. And it’s not as though one or two hitters has stood up to carry them as it has been truly a team effort, one through nine, with eight different hitters collecting at least three base hits in the team’s two Super Regional contests. Nick Choruby (5-for-10 in the leadoff spot) and Walker Pennington (5-for-12) led the club in base hits and RBI with four apiece.


Louisville Super Regional

Louisville made quick work of their in-state guests, ending Kentucky’s season in two games by scores of 5-2 and 6-2, holding down the powerful Wildcats offense. The Cardinals’ impressive pitching depth, and Drew Ellis’ powerful righthanded swing, were the stories in this Super Regional, as Kentucky didn’t even score a run until the top of the ninth inning of the first game. Drew Ellis hit a three-run shot and had four total RBI in Game 1, and followed that up with a 3-for-4 performance that included a pair of solo shots in the second game.

A series that lacked a lot of drama is just what Head Coach Dan McDonnell needed after his squad lost in the Super Regionals, at home, each of the last two years. Many of the faces that were on the field for the final out in Louisville each of the last three years were the same, as this is an experienced and veteran group. They’re also relatively fresh, as they have played the minimum number of games each of the last two weekends, not to mention playing only a pair of games in the ACC Tournament. They now are able to get the maximum amount of rest before the College World Series begins.


Tallahassee Super Regional

The Seminoles won both of their game at home against visiting Sam Houston State and are turning to the College World Series for what seems like a lifetime under Head Coach Mike Martin. The truth is that it’s the first time since 2012, but when you consider it’s the 22nd time overall and you realize FSU is a frequent visitor to Omaha. However, it didn’t look as though it would be accomplished so easy, as Sam Houston State had a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. Florida State scored three runs to tie it, and then won in walkoff fashion in the ninth thanks to Jackson Lueck’s winning single. On Sunday it was game over from nearly the very beginning, as the Seminoles opened with a four spot in a 19-0 thumping.

After Lueck enjoyed a four-hit, four-RBI performance in the first game Taylor Walls and Quincy Nieporte did most of the heavy lifting in the second game. Walls went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs, four walks and five runs scored, driving in four. Nieporte was 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two runs scored and four driven in of his own. Walls also went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and three runs scored in the first game (including the walkoff winning run), giving him eight runs scored and four driven in the two games against the Bearkats.

As a result Walls has been named the Perfect Game/Rawlings Super Regional Player of the Week.


Baton Rouge Super Regional

For as strong as the field is going to be in Omaha there may not be a hotter, more well rounded team in attendance than LSU. The pitching staff allowed only nine base hits in two games to Mississippi State and the defense has been playing nearly flawless. The lineup is one of the most balanced one through nine and they can beat you with base hits, base on balls, stolen bases and over-the-fence power. And now that they have identified a third starters to complement Alex Lange and Jared Poche’, their biggest weakness at the College World Series two years ago, they could be the favorite to win it all.

Poche’ is now 37-12 with a 3.08 ERA in 70 career games – 68 of which have been starts – spanning just over 400 innings. Lange is 29-9 with a 2.89 ERA, making 17 starts in each of his three seasons, striking out 390 in 336 2/3 innings. While the two couldn’t be any more different on the mound their combined success has been remarkable.

Fort Worth Super Regional

TCU Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle is making the whole College World Series thing look rather easy. He has yet to win it all, but 2017 marks the fourth consecutive year the Horned Frogs will be playing in Omaha, and the fifth time under his guidance. However, it didn’t come easy, at least not at first as Missouri State held a tenuous 2-1 lead over TCU heading into the bottom of the eighth inning of their first game on Saturday night. After MSU starter Dylan Coleman gave up a one-out walk to Zach Humphreys the Bears decided to turn into their multi-purpose stopper, Jordan Knutson, who promptly gave up a two-run bomb to TCU slugger Evan Skoug, giving the Frogs a 3-2 lead, and one half inning later, the win. Skoug added another home run in the second game, another two-run shot, as part of TCU’s CWS-clinching 8-1 win.

Texas Christian starters Jared Janczak and Brian Howard each reached double-digit strikeouts and Sean Wymer delivered 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in each of the two games. Strong pitching and clutch hitting, even without their star slugger, Luken Baker, has led to a perfect 5-0 record so far this postseason.


Gainesville Super Regional

Rain wrecked havoc in Gainesville, as the Gators’ CWS-clinching victory over Wake Forest didn’t wrap up until well after 10:00 p.m. ET on Monday night. Tyler Dyson was the story in the final game, who came in after the lengthy rain delay and delivered five shutout innings – allowing just two base hits while fanning seven – after Brady Singer worked the first two innings before the delay. Alex Faedo worked the final two frames pushing the Gators to Omaha for the third year in a row and the seventh time in the last nine years.

While Michael Byrne picked up the loss in Wake Forest’s 8-6 win over Florida earlier on Monday to force the winner-take-all contest, he’s been spot on in the postseason. Both of the runs he allowed in that game came from a two-run walkoff bomb by Ben Breazeale, his second of the game. However, before that Byrne worked the final three innings of Saturday’s 11-inning 2-1 win for the Gators, and in Regional play Byrne tossed 9 1/3 scoreless innings spanning three games, all wins for Florida, allowing just six base hits and two walks with 13 strikeouts in that time. Byrne now has 16 saves on the year, just one behind the national leader, TCU’s Durbin Feltman.

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