Most Exciting Player: Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech.
A Golden Spikes Award semifinalist and a likely top 10 overall pick in this year’s draft, Jung is an impact player with big league all-star upside. After a relatively slow start to the season, Jung is currently slashing .340/.487/.636 with 18 doubles and 14 homers and is a threat to leave the yard every time he steps to the plate.
Best Hitter: Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech.
It’s hard not to give two consecutive nods to Jung, after all, his bat is what makes him so special. In addition to his ability to hit for average and power, Jung has 20 more walks (58) than he does strikeouts (38) this season. He uses the whole field and creates incredible leverage as a lefthanded hitter.
Best Defensive Player: Jack Brannigan, 3B/RHP, Notre Dame.
Brannigan is a special athletic talent, one that is able to throw triple digits on the mound while also hitting tape measure home runs. Physically he looks like a big leaguer already and defensively you can see why Notre Dame Head Coach Link Jarrett is bullish about keeping Brannigan in the everyday lineup and at third base defensively despite his arm talent. He has quick lateral actions, charges balls well and has a cannon for an arm.
Best Pitcher: John Michael Bertrand, LHP, Notre Dame.
It came as no surprise that Bertrand enjoyed a big season on the mound (8-2, 2.39) as he has a track record of success coming up big on the biggest of stages. He tossed a complete game shutout against Central Michigan a year ago in regional play and pitched Notre Dame to wins over NC State, Florida State (twice), Clemson, Wake Forest and Pitt this year. His next assignment may be his biggest assuming he gets the nod against Texas Tech on Friday.
X-Factor: Experienced Georgia Southern Lineup.
There are a lot of parallels between Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina’s 2016 squad, particularly when it comes to the experience in the starting lineup. Jason Swan, Christian Avant, Austin Thompson and Parker Biederer are fifth-year players. Noah Ledford and JP Tighe are fourth-year players and Jarrett Brown and Sam Blancato are third-year performers. Jesse Sherrill and Kyler Hultgren are also third-year players after transferring from other programs. That’s a lot of experience for a lineup that can hit (.297 team batting average) and field (.982 fielding percentage) at a high level.
Best Starting Rotation: Notre Dame.
In addition to lefthander John Michael Bertrand, righthander Austin Temple also enjoyed a big season as Notre Dame’s No. 2 starter. Freshman lefthander Jack Findlay got more weekend starting opportunities as the season wore on, going 5-2, 2.31. They have swing options including lefthanders Aidan Tyrell and Will Mercer – both of whom started in last year’s South Bend Regional – in addition to hard-throwing righthander Liam Simon, who served as the team’s midweek starter during the second half of the season.
Best Bullpen: Notre Dame.
The versatility of this staff is what makes it stand out so much. Both Tyrell and Mercer can navigate a lineup multiple times. When Simon comes in late he brings upper-90s heat with him. Alex Rao can also throw in the mid- to upper-90s and his best pitch is a tumbling changeup. This group would be even better if they still had their best reliever, Ryan McLinskey, who hasn’t made an appearance since mid-April.
Best Offensive Team: Texas Tech.
As a team the Red Raiders have hit .294. Their on-base percentage is over .400 (.406) and their slugging is over .500 (.502). Georgia Southern, Notre Dame and UNCG can beat you in more ways with a more balanced attack that includes a speed and action component, but Texas Tech can flat-out out-bludgeon you.
Best Defensive Team: Georgia Southern.
Notre Dame and Texas Tech both are fine fielding teams, and the Irish were one of college baseball’s best a year ago, but Georgia Southern has the nation’s seventh-best fielding percentage (.982). The infield defense is especially strong with Austin Thompson and Jesse Sherrill playing shortstop and second base, respectively, and Jarrett Brown at the hot corner.
No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 5.
Time after time Georgia Southern proved they were the team to beat in a loaded Sun Belt Conference this season. While they still have the advantage of hosting, drawing an especially motivated Notre Dame club and an always dangerous Texas Tech squad means the Eagles have a diffcult road to advance to super regional play. It’s important to note that Notre Dame (17) is actually ranked ahead of Georgia Southern (21) in the D1Baseball Top 25. Texas Tech (24) isn’t too far behind.
Georgia Southern’s pitching staff is a little top heavy, led by sophomore ace Ty Fisher (5-2, 2.87) and closer Jay Thomspon (7-3, 3.66, 6 saves). Fisher was at Tennessee Tech a year ago as a freshman and enjoyed immediate success as a weekend starter. Thompson, also a lefthander, is 14-4 with a cumulative 2.77 ERA during three seasons for Georgia Southern after spending his first two years in college at the JUCO level at Gordon State. Another lefty, Hayden Harris, pitches on Saturdays and live-armed sophomore Jaylen Paden has gone 6-2, 5.32 in 71 innings as the team’s third starter. The youth on the roster can be found in the Georgia Southern bullpen leading up to Thompson, as second-year players Ben Johnson, Jake Martin and Anthony DiMola, as well as freshman Thomas Higgins, all get frequent looks.
Notre Dame’s pitching staff might be the most versatile staff in the country, led by their lefthanded ace John Michael Bertrand. He and righthander Austin Temple form a 1-2 punch at the front of their weekend staff that is tough to beat. Freshman lefty Jack Findlay has grown more comfortable and confident in the team’s third starting role while lefthanders Aidan Tyrell and Will Mercer, as well as hard-throwing righthander Liam Simon, have been used as both relievers and starters. Alex Rao is one of the team’s most frequently-turned to high leverage arms with a mid- to upper-90s fastball and his signature changeup. Getting Matt Bedford back on the mound has been a huge plus for the Irish, giving them another low-90s arm opposing teams have to contend with.
Preventing runs has proven to be a bigger challenge for Texas Tech with a team ERA of 5.25. Their de-facto ace, strong-bodied righthander Brandon Birdsell, can miss bats thanks to his mid- to upper-90s fastball and nasty mid-80s slider, although he hasn’t been as sharp the past two weeks. When he’s locked in he’s tough to hit and has struck out 102 batters this year in just 78 innings. Andrew Morris is the team’s true Friday starter even if his results, and stuff, aren’t the same as Birdsell’s, but he consistently provides length in innings, going 7-2, 4.72 with 88 strikeouts in 82 innings across 13 starts. Chase Hampton is the team’s third starter while Mason Molina is a valuable swing man. Derek Bridges and Brandon Beckel get plenty of looks leading up to co-closers Andrew Devine and Austin Becker as the Red Raiders have plenty of options they feel comfortable turning to.
With a 5.48 team ERA, pitching isn’t as big of a strength for UNCG, but it obviously came together for them while playing seven games, the last two against Wofford, to win the SoCon automatic bid. They ask their starters to work deep into games, even if it means taking some lumps along the way, which is what Austin Parsley did twice during the SoCon Tournament, logging 16 innings in two starts while moving to 10-4, 3.67 on the season with three complete games and 110 1/3 innings of work. Staff ace Jared Matthewson isn’t far behind the innings department (90) while bullpen ace Alex Hoppe is 8-2, 2.91 with 82 strikeouts in 65 innings spanning 25 relief appearances. Price King, Hunter Shuey, Sam Murchison and Austin Koehn all provided valuable starts, and innings, during UNCG’s 6-1 run through the SoCon tourney and provide versatile depth to the staff, even if it’s aligned in an unconventional manner.
A Golden Spikes Award semifinalist and a likely top 10 overall pick in this year’s draft, Jung is an impact player with big league all-star upside. After a relatively slow start to the season, Jung is currently slashing .340/.487/.636 with 18 doubles and 14 homers and is a threat to leave the yard every time he steps to the plate.
Best Hitter: Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech.
It’s hard not to give two consecutive nods to Jung, after all, his bat is what makes him so special. In addition to his ability to hit for average and power, Jung has 20 more walks (58) than he does strikeouts (38) this season. He uses the whole field and creates incredible leverage as a lefthanded hitter.
Best Defensive Player: Jack Brannigan, 3B/RHP, Notre Dame.
Brannigan is a special athletic talent, one that is able to throw triple digits on the mound while also hitting tape measure home runs. Physically he looks like a big leaguer already and defensively you can see why Notre Dame Head Coach Link Jarrett is bullish about keeping Brannigan in the everyday lineup and at third base defensively despite his arm talent. He has quick lateral actions, charges balls well and has a cannon for an arm.
Best Pitcher: John Michael Bertrand, LHP, Notre Dame.
It came as no surprise that Bertrand enjoyed a big season on the mound (8-2, 2.39) as he has a track record of success coming up big on the biggest of stages. He tossed a complete game shutout against Central Michigan a year ago in regional play and pitched Notre Dame to wins over NC State, Florida State (twice), Clemson, Wake Forest and Pitt this year. His next assignment may be his biggest assuming he gets the nod against Texas Tech on Friday.
X-Factor: Experienced Georgia Southern Lineup.
There are a lot of parallels between Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina’s 2016 squad, particularly when it comes to the experience in the starting lineup. Jason Swan, Christian Avant, Austin Thompson and Parker Biederer are fifth-year players. Noah Ledford and JP Tighe are fourth-year players and Jarrett Brown and Sam Blancato are third-year performers. Jesse Sherrill and Kyler Hultgren are also third-year players after transferring from other programs. That’s a lot of experience for a lineup that can hit (.297 team batting average) and field (.982 fielding percentage) at a high level.
Best Starting Rotation: Notre Dame.
In addition to lefthander John Michael Bertrand, righthander Austin Temple also enjoyed a big season as Notre Dame’s No. 2 starter. Freshman lefthander Jack Findlay got more weekend starting opportunities as the season wore on, going 5-2, 2.31. They have swing options including lefthanders Aidan Tyrell and Will Mercer – both of whom started in last year’s South Bend Regional – in addition to hard-throwing righthander Liam Simon, who served as the team’s midweek starter during the second half of the season.
Best Bullpen: Notre Dame.
The versatility of this staff is what makes it stand out so much. Both Tyrell and Mercer can navigate a lineup multiple times. When Simon comes in late he brings upper-90s heat with him. Alex Rao can also throw in the mid- to upper-90s and his best pitch is a tumbling changeup. This group would be even better if they still had their best reliever, Ryan McLinskey, who hasn’t made an appearance since mid-April.
Best Offensive Team: Texas Tech.
As a team the Red Raiders have hit .294. Their on-base percentage is over .400 (.406) and their slugging is over .500 (.502). Georgia Southern, Notre Dame and UNCG can beat you in more ways with a more balanced attack that includes a speed and action component, but Texas Tech can flat-out out-bludgeon you.
Best Defensive Team: Georgia Southern.
Notre Dame and Texas Tech both are fine fielding teams, and the Irish were one of college baseball’s best a year ago, but Georgia Southern has the nation’s seventh-best fielding percentage (.982). The infield defense is especially strong with Austin Thompson and Jesse Sherrill playing shortstop and second base, respectively, and Jarrett Brown at the hot corner.
No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 5.
Time after time Georgia Southern proved they were the team to beat in a loaded Sun Belt Conference this season. While they still have the advantage of hosting, drawing an especially motivated Notre Dame club and an always dangerous Texas Tech squad means the Eagles have a diffcult road to advance to super regional play. It’s important to note that Notre Dame (17) is actually ranked ahead of Georgia Southern (21) in the D1Baseball Top 25. Texas Tech (24) isn’t too far behind.
Statesboro Regional Team Breakdowns
Georgia Southern (40-18, 23-7 Sun Belt)
The amount of experience present in Georgia Southern’s everyday lineup is hard to beat, and aside from mixing up their starting catcher from game to game, you can expect to see the same nine batters in the same nine spots on a game-to-game basis. Noah Ledford provides a lot of thump, leading the team in homers (16), RBIs (69), total bases (141) and slugging (.644); you won’t miss the 6-foot-1, 252-pound slugger on the field. Ledford and four other regulars are batting on the sunny side of .300, led by second baseman and leadoff hitter Jesse Sherrill (.368), a Kennesaw State transfer that has more walks than strikeouts, has been hit by a pitch 17 times and boasts a near-.500 (.492) on-base percentage. He brings a little speed to the basepaths as well. First baseman Jason Swan, right fielder Christian Avant and shortstop Austin Thompson are all fifth-year players with a track record of success for a team collectively slashing .297/.397/.456.Georgia Southern’s pitching staff is a little top heavy, led by sophomore ace Ty Fisher (5-2, 2.87) and closer Jay Thomspon (7-3, 3.66, 6 saves). Fisher was at Tennessee Tech a year ago as a freshman and enjoyed immediate success as a weekend starter. Thompson, also a lefthander, is 14-4 with a cumulative 2.77 ERA during three seasons for Georgia Southern after spending his first two years in college at the JUCO level at Gordon State. Another lefty, Hayden Harris, pitches on Saturdays and live-armed sophomore Jaylen Paden has gone 6-2, 5.32 in 71 innings as the team’s third starter. The youth on the roster can be found in the Georgia Southern bullpen leading up to Thompson, as second-year players Ben Johnson, Jake Martin and Anthony DiMola, as well as freshman Thomas Higgins, all get frequent looks.
Notre Dame (35-14, 16-11 ACC)
If you have watched Notre Dame play you know how well they execute in all phases of the game. When Link Jarrett came on board he brought a very precise method with his coaching, and part of the reason the team has been so successful is because the players have bought into this. This is evident on offense, a year removed from having slugger Niko Kavadas in the middle of their lineup, Notre Dame hasn’t missed a beat. They can hit and hit for power with the fundamental abilities to advance runners as well. Catcher David LaManna is leading the team in batting (.367) but first baseman Carter Putz is the primary run producer, the heart and soul on offense who has provided numerous big hits all season long. Brooks Coetzee is also enjoying a big year, leading the team in home runs (11). The outfield can cover some serious ground and the infield, led by shortstop Zack Prajzner and third baseman Jack Brannigan on the left side, is as good as they get with an overall defense that ranks among the nation’s best.Notre Dame’s pitching staff might be the most versatile staff in the country, led by their lefthanded ace John Michael Bertrand. He and righthander Austin Temple form a 1-2 punch at the front of their weekend staff that is tough to beat. Freshman lefty Jack Findlay has grown more comfortable and confident in the team’s third starting role while lefthanders Aidan Tyrell and Will Mercer, as well as hard-throwing righthander Liam Simon, have been used as both relievers and starters. Alex Rao is one of the team’s most frequently-turned to high leverage arms with a mid- to upper-90s fastball and his signature changeup. Getting Matt Bedford back on the mound has been a huge plus for the Irish, giving them another low-90s arm opposing teams have to contend with.
Texas Tech (37-20, 15-9 Big 12)
Texas Tech’s 3-4-5 punch in the middle of their lineup is especially dangerous, with second baseman Jace Jung and shortstop Kurt Wilson serving as the book ends of that trio with DH Ty Coleman sandwiched in between. Jung and Wilson in particular are having huge seasons as each has 14 home runs heading into regional play and it’s Wilson that leads the team in RBIs (63) and total bases (142). Coleman is second on the team in RBIs with 59 and he also has hit 14 doubles and eight home runs. Easton Murrell, who has a on-base percentage greater than .500 (.508), and Cole Stillwell create plenty of run-scoring opportunities ahead of the sluggers and freshman six-hole hitter Owen Washburn has been supplying more and more loud hits as the season has progressed. There’s no easy out in this exhausting lineup that’s slashing .294/.406/.502.Preventing runs has proven to be a bigger challenge for Texas Tech with a team ERA of 5.25. Their de-facto ace, strong-bodied righthander Brandon Birdsell, can miss bats thanks to his mid- to upper-90s fastball and nasty mid-80s slider, although he hasn’t been as sharp the past two weeks. When he’s locked in he’s tough to hit and has struck out 102 batters this year in just 78 innings. Andrew Morris is the team’s true Friday starter even if his results, and stuff, aren’t the same as Birdsell’s, but he consistently provides length in innings, going 7-2, 4.72 with 88 strikeouts in 82 innings across 13 starts. Chase Hampton is the team’s third starter while Mason Molina is a valuable swing man. Derek Bridges and Brandon Beckel get plenty of looks leading up to co-closers Andrew Devine and Austin Becker as the Red Raiders have plenty of options they feel comfortable turning to.
UNC Greensboro (34-28, 12-9 Southern)
Adding some intrigue to the Statesboro Regional, UNC Greensboro was Notre Dame Head Coach Link Jarrett’s coaching gig prior to getting the Irish job, which opened the door for former New York Yankees scout Billy Godwin to take over for the Spartans. Both employ a similar approach to offense, as UNCG can do a little bit of everything with a .311/.401/.457 triple slash to go along with 65 stolen bases in 79 attempts. The team’s top three hitters, both statistically and in the everyday lineup, really help propel UNCG with Kennedy Jones, Hogan Windish and Pres Cavenaugh doing a lot of damage in the Nos. 1-3 spots of the order. Windish leads the team in each of the triple slash categories (.380/.496/.702), doubles (19) and homers (16). Jones has driven in the most runs (73) with the most total bases (148) while Cavenaugh leads the team in steals with 15. Three other regulars – Greg Hardison, Mitchell Smith and Dallas Callahan – are also hitting better than .300 making this an especially difficult lineup to pitch to.With a 5.48 team ERA, pitching isn’t as big of a strength for UNCG, but it obviously came together for them while playing seven games, the last two against Wofford, to win the SoCon automatic bid. They ask their starters to work deep into games, even if it means taking some lumps along the way, which is what Austin Parsley did twice during the SoCon Tournament, logging 16 innings in two starts while moving to 10-4, 3.67 on the season with three complete games and 110 1/3 innings of work. Staff ace Jared Matthewson isn’t far behind the innings department (90) while bullpen ace Alex Hoppe is 8-2, 2.91 with 82 strikeouts in 65 innings spanning 25 relief appearances. Price King, Hunter Shuey, Sam Murchison and Austin Koehn all provided valuable starts, and innings, during UNCG’s 6-1 run through the SoCon tourney and provide versatile depth to the staff, even if it’s aligned in an unconventional manner.
