Leading up to Saturday's opening day at the 2015 NCAA Division II Baseball National Finals, we will look at the first-round match-ups, give a bit of a preview, and share our thoughts with the regional tournament results and what is ahead. I will be doing my best to put up a recap post following each day in Cary, and a preview post for the next day's action.
Our preview post for today is looking at the first game of day two, as Midwest champion Truman State takes on Atlantic champion Mercyhurst.
(Team (Region): Overall Record (SOS Rank, Opp. WP))
Truman State (Midwest): 35-20 (116th, .520)
Mercyhurst (Atlantic): 39-9 (23rd, .570)
Truman State, making their first appearance not only at the Division II baseball national finals, but in the Division II baseball postseason at all, has continued their spectacular run to Cary, going 4-0 at the Midwest regional tournament. Before the regionals, I mentioned that the Midwest was a region that could be won by any of the six teams there, and it proved to be just that, as Truman, the four-seed, went up for the title against six-seeded Ashland.
The Bulldogs made their names known early on in the season when they swept defending national champion Southern Indiana to open up GLVC play back in mid-March. From there, they kind of faded back in to the pack, hanging around near the top of their division with a bevy of other teams, and then went only 1-2 at the GLVC Tournament. They hung on for the regional spot, however, and beat William Jewell, Drury twice and then Ashland for the title to move on to Cary.
Truman State doesn't have the big bats or overpowering ace pitcher like nearly every other team in Cary does, but clearly they are able to perform in the clutch and play smart baseball. The Bulldogs have three hitters with between 42 and 45 RBI and those same three guys have between 5 and 7 home runs, so the offensive production is spread out pretty thin throughout the lineup.
1B Dave Gambino (.381, 31 R, 10 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 42 RBI, .552 SLG), LF Paul Trenhaile (.374, 46 R, 11 2B, 5 HR, 45 RBI, .505 SLG, .429 OBP) and RF Jarod Hahn (.262, 46 R, 11 2B, 7 HR, 42 RBI, .436 SLG) are the guys driving in most of the runs, while Brendan Trimble (.343, 27 R, 12 2B, 19 RBI, .436 SLG), CF TJ Wood (.341, 37 R, 12 2B, 22 RBI, 13/22 SB) and 3B Zak Larkin (.301, 43 R, 12 2B, 21 RBI, 26/31 SB) set the table.
Assuming Truman sticks to their regional rotation, the nod in this game should go to senior Cody Gardner, who threw a complete game shutout against William Jewell to open the Midwest regional, allowing only six hits with four strikeouts, and then came back on two days' rest to throw seven innings against Ashland in the title game. He was named regional tournament MVP for his efforts. On the season, Gardner is 9-5 with a 3.23 ERA and 56 strikeouts to only 21 walks allowed in 103 innings of work in 15 starts. If he can't go the distance, Peter Young (3-0, 0.67 ERA, 6 SV) is going to be the guy out of the pen to try and finish it off.
On the other end of the spectrum for some big numbers, we have Mercyhurst, who began the season as one of Division II's hottest teams. When it came to the postseason, the Lakers went 2-2 in the PSAC Tournament, falling to Millersville in the semifinals, but they got their revenge against the Marauders in the title game of the Atlantic regional tournament to cap off a 4-1 weekend. Mercyhurst beat West Virginia State, lost to Seton Hill, then came back with victories over West Chester, Winston-Salem State and Millersville to take the crown and make their first appearance at the Division II Baseball National Finals, as well.
The ball for the Lakers should be going to Colin McKee, who tore up the regional tournament. He threw seven innings in the opener against West Virginia State, allowing only three hits while striking out 10. In the title game against Millersville, he threw 4.2 shutout innings with eight more strikeouts. On the season, McKee is 7-2 with a 1.82 ERA, 4 complete games in 11 starts, 92 strikeouts in 64.1 innings and allowing only a .179 batting average against.
Mercyhurst has a few pretty big bats in their lineup, but by and large, they are a team that is going to get on base and make you work to get outs. There aren't many comfortable at-bats for opposing pitchers. The charge is led by outfielders Giancarlo Saia (.353, 12 2B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, .551 SLG, .433 OBP), who by the way, began his career at Ashland, and Hank Morrison (.337, 36 R, 4 3B, 8 HR, 38 RBI, .558 SLG, 9/11 SB). Morrison is interesting to me in that he has eight home runs on the year...and four doubles and four triples. That could be why he also leads the team with 39 strikeouts.
The Lakers have a couple table-setters in shortstop and lead-off man Angel Martinez (.376, 42 R, 11 2B, 3 3B, 16 RBI, .421 OBP, 10/12 SB) and 3B Brendan Cox (.359, 32 R, 20 RBI, .440 OBP), who are the top two hitters, average-wise, on the team.
Much like the game I previewed yesterday, Wilmington vs Catawba, this is a game that looks like a mismatch on paper. However, in a one-game situation, anything can happen. And in Cary, a lot of upsets tend to happen. Eventually the talent should shake itself out, but in these first round match-ups with a bunch of aces going at each other, it is anyone's game.
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