Super Regionals Preview Capsules

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Super Regionals Preview Capsules

A look at the matchups for the eight best-of-three super regionals, which will be played this weekend (tournament appearances include this year, and coaches’ records are at current school):

SITE: Packard Stadium; Tempe, Ariz.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Arkansas won Fayetteville Regional: beat Grambling State 19-7, beat Washington State 6-4, lost to Washington State 10-7, beat Washington State 7-2. Arizona State won Tempe Regional: beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee 6-2, beat Hawaii 12-1, beat Hawaii 8-4.

COACHES: Arkansas, Dave Van Horn (319-177, eighth season). Arizona State, Tim Esmay (50-8, first season).

TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Arkansas, 23rd (2009). Arizona State, 34th (2009).

SUPER REGIONALS APPEARANCES (LAST): Arkansas, fourth (2009), 5-2 all-time. Arizona State, sixth (2009), 8-5.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Arkansas: RHP Mike Bolsinger (6-5, 4.77), 3B Zack Cox (.427, 9, 48), OF Brett Eibner (.337, 21, 69), OF Collin Kuhn (.348, 16, 52), LHP Drew Smyly (9-1, 2.56), 1B Andy Wilkins (.276, 15, 68),

Arizona State: RHP Seth Blair (12-0, 3.06), OF Kole Calhoun (.325, 16, 58), RHP Merrill Kelly (10-2, 3.52), 2B Zack MacPhee (.394, 9, 63), RHP Jordan Swagerty (1-0, 2.05, 14 saves), 1B Riccio Torrez (.404, 9, 51).

SITE: UFCU Disch-Falk Field; Austin, Texas.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: TCU won Fort Worth Regional: beat Lamar 16-3, beat Arizona 11-5, beat Baylor 9-0. Texas won Austin Regional: beat Rider 11-0, beat Louisiana-Lafayette 4-2, beat Rice 4-1.

COACHES: TCU, Jim Schlossnagle, (300-131 seventh season). Texas, Augie Garrido (616-280-2, 14th season).

TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): TCU, ninth (2009). Texas, 54th (2009).

SUPER REGIONALS APPEARANCES (LAST): TCU, second (2009), 1-2. Texas, seventh (2009), 12-3.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: TCU: OF Jason Coats (.377, 13, 65), 1B Matt Curry (.352, 17, 59), C Bryan Holaday (.347, 12, 47), RHP Steven Maxwell (11-1, 2.51), LHP Matt Purke (13-0, 3.40), RHP Kyle Winkler (11-1, 3.05).

Texas: RHP Cole Green (11-1, 2.63), OF Kevin Keyes (.305, 14, 57), DH Russell Moldenhauer (.341, 9, 41), RHP Chance Ruffin (6-1, 0.73, 14 saves), C Cameron Rupp (.317, 10, 54), 1B Tant Shepherd (.333, 7, 34), RHP Brandon Workman (12-1, 3.43).

SITE: McKethan Stadium; Gainesville, Fla.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Miami won Coral Gables Regional: beat Dartmouth 12-8, beat Texas A&M 14-1, lost to Texas A&M 11-7, beat Texas A&M 10-3. Florida won Gainesville Regional: beat Bethune-Cookman 7-3, beat Oregon State 10-2, beat Florida Atlantic 15-0.

COACHES: Miami, Jim Morris (776-296-3, 17th season). Florida, Kevin O’Sullivan (121-61, third season).

TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Miami, 39th (2009). Florida, 26th (2009).

SUPER REGIONALS APPEARANCES (LAST): Miami, 10th (2008), 14-8. Florida, fourth (2009), 2-4.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Miami: LHP Eric Erickson (4-1, 2.52), C Yasmani Grandal (.411, 14, 58), RHP David Gutierrez (5-2, 5.12, 5 saves), LHP Chris Hernandez (10-3, 2.77), 3B Harold Martinez (.298, 21, 69), OF Chris Pelaez (.314, 11, 53).

Florida: LHP Kevin Chapman (3-0, 1.28, 11 saves), OF Matt den Dekker (.361, 13, 48), 3B Austin Maddox (.339, 17, 68), LHP Alex Panteliodis (10-2, 3.39), RHP Hudson Randall (8-3, 2.97), 1B Preston Tucker (.345, 11, 46).

SITE: BB&T Coastal Field; Myrtle Beach, S.C.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: South Carolina won Columbia Regional: beat Bucknell 9-5, beat The Citadel 9-4, beat Virginia Tech 10-2. Coastal Carolina won Myrtle Beach Regional: beat Stony Brook 6-0, lost to College of Charleston 16-6, beat Stony Brook 25-7, beat College of Charleston 8-7, beat College of Charleston 11-10, 10 innings.

COACHES: South Carolina, Ray Tanner, (626-281, 14th season). Coastal Carolina, Gary Gilmore (609-301, 15th season).

TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): South Carolina, 26th (2009). Coastal Carolina, 10th (2009).

SUPER REGIONALS APPEARANCES (LAST): South Carolina, eighth (2007), 10-9. Coastal Carolina, second (2008), 0-2.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: South Carolina: OF Jackie Bradley Jr. (.367, 11, 49), RHP Blake Cooper (11-1, 2.75), RHP Sam Dyson (5-5, 4.00), OF Whit Merrifield (.332, 12, 38), DH Brady Thomas (.322, 8, 28), 1B Christian Walker (.310, 6, 41).

Coastal Carolina: RHP Austin Fleet (6-1, 2.53, 8 saves), C Jose Iglesias (.344, 16, 78), 2B Tommy La Stella (.375, 14, 63), RHP Anthony Meo (13-2, 2.63), OF Rico Noel (.348, 11, 62, 56 SBs), LHP Cody Wheeler (12-0, 3.59).

SITE: Davenport Field; Charlottesville, Va.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Oklahoma won Norman Regional: beat Oral Roberts 7-6, 10 innings, beat North Carolina 7-6, 10 innings, beat North Carolina 3-2. Virginia won Charlottesville Regional: beat Virginia Commonwealth 15-4, beat Mississippi 13-7, lost to St. John’s 6-5, beat St. John’s 5-3.

COACHES: Oklahoma, Sunny Golloway (217-113-1, sixth season). Virginia, Brian O’Connor (315-116-1, seventh season).

TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Oklahoma, 32nd (2009). Virginia, 10th (2009).

SUPER REGIONALS APPEARANCES (LAST): Oklahoma, second (2006), 1-2. Virginia, second (2009), 2-1.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Oklahoma: 2B Danny Black (.339, 5, 47), 3B Garrett Buechele (.387, 16, 62), RHP Zach Neal (8-3, 4.42), 1B Cameron Seitzer (.317, 14, 51), RHP Bobby Shore (9-4, 4.23), OF Max White (.307, 14, 40).

Virginia: RHP Kevin Arico (1-1, 2.59, 17 saves), SS Tyler Cannon (.341, 3, 38), OF Phil Gosselin (.378, 9, 57), LHP Danny Hultzen (10-1, 2.83), RHP Robert Morey (9-3, 3.72), OF Jarrett Parker (.338, 10, 55).

SITE: Jackie Robinson Stadium; Los Angeles.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Cal State Fullerton won Fullerton Regional: lost to Minnesota 3-1, beat Stanford 6-5, beat New Mexico 11-3, beat Minnesota 7-2, beat Minnesota 9-5. UCLA won Los Angeles Regional: beat Kent State 15-1, beat LSU 6-3, beat UC Irvine 6-2.

COACHES: Cal State Fullerton, Dave Serrano (133-54, third season). UCLA, John Savage (187-163, sixth season).

TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Cal State Fullerton, 32nd (2009). UCLA, 16th (2008).

SUPER REGIONALS APPEARANCES (LAST): Cal State Fullerton, 10th (2009), 15-6. UCLA, third (2007), 0-4.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Cal State Fullerton: OF Gary Brown (.438, 6, 41, 31 SBs), SS Christian Colon (.358, 16, 67), 2B Corey Jones (.378, 9, 54), OF-RHP Tyler Pill (.353, 7, 41; 4-4, 3.36), 1B-LHP Nick Ramirez (.360, 16, 73; 1-3. 3.29, 10 saves), RHP Noe Ramirez (11-1, 2.63), RHP Daniel Renken (12-2, 3.95).

UCLA: OF Beau Amaral (.353, 3, 25), RHP Trevor Bauer (10-3, 2.72), RHP Gerrit Cole (10-2, 3.11), DH Blair Dunlap (.330, 5, 23), RHP Dan Klein (5-0, 2,03, 9 saves), 2B Tyler Rahmatulla (.326, 6, 41), LHP Rob Rasmussen (10-2, 2.90).

SITE: Dick Howser Stadium; Tallahassee, Fla.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Vanderbilt won Louisville Regional: beat Illinois State 8-7, 13 innings, lost to Louisville 7-1, beat Illinois State 10-4, beat Louisville 7-0, beat Louisville 3-2, 10 innings. Florida State won Norwich Regional: beat Central Connecticut State 11-3, beat Oregon 6-4, beat Oregon 5-3.

COACHES: Vanderbilt, Tim Corbin (321-175, eighth season). Florida State, Mike Martin (1,624-555-4, 31st season).

TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Vanderbilt, ninth (2009). Florida State, 48th (2009).

SUPER REGIONALS APPEARANCES (LAST): Vanderbilt, second (2004), 0-2. Florida State, 10th (2009), 8-14.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Vanderbilt: RHP Jack Armstrong (7-3, 4.32), 3B Jason Esposito (.359, 10, 59), 2B Anthony Gomez (.377, 2, 28), RHP Sonny Gray (9-5, 3.51, 1 save), RHP Taylor Hill (6-5, 4.15), 1B Aaron Westlake (.308, 14, 58).

Florida State: LHP John Gast (7-3, 5.61), LHP Sean Gilmartin (8-7, 4.74), OF Tyler Holt (.349, 12, 42), 3B Sherman Johnson (.335, 8, 51), OF-RHP Mike McGee (.335, 14, 67; 4-0, 0.38, 11 saves), OF James Ramsey (.291, 9, 60).

SITE: Doug Kingsmore Stadium; Clemson, S.C.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Alabama won Atlanta Regional: beat Elon 11-2, lost to Georgia Tech 5-2, beat Mercer 5-3, beat Georgia Tech 8-1, beat Georgia Tech 10-8. Clemson won Auburn Regional: beat Southern Mississippi 10-1, beat Auburn 5-2, lost to Auburn 11-10, beat Auburn 13-7.

COACHES: Alabama, Mitch Gaspard (41-23, first season). Clemson, Jack Leggett (765-353-1, 17th season).

TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Alabama, 18th (2009). Clemson, 35th (2009).

SUPER REGIONALS APPEARANCES (LAST): Alabama, third (2006), 0-2. Clemson, ninth (2009), 8-11.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Alabama: OF Taylor Dugas (393, 2, 36), 1B Clay Jones (.329, 17, 65), RHP Nathan Kilcrease (8-2, 2.42, 4 saves), RHP Jimmy Nelson (8-3, 3.92), SS Josh Rutledge (.365, 10, 69), 3B Jake Smith (.261, 13, 55).

Clemson: 1B Mike Freeman (.330, 8, 55), LHP Casey Harman (7-2, 3.95), 3B John Hinson (.341, 15, 67, 22 SBs), SS Brad Miller (.365, 7, 41), OF Kyle Parker (.356, 20, 63), OF Jeff Schaus (.313, 15, 80), RHP Scott Weismann (7-2, 5.13).

END Capsules