This is part two of our regional preview capsules before tournament play begins on Thursday. In this second post, we give a very short preview for each team in the remaining four of the eight regions, as we cover the Central, Midwest, South Central and West regions before play begins tomorrow on the road to Cary, N.C.
** CENTRAL REGION **
Host: St. Cloud State
Site: Joe Faber Field, St. Cloud, Minn.
Regional Tournament Page
(Reg. Rank. Team (D2 Record), Conference, SOS, SOS Rank, Notes)
1. St. Cloud State (35-8), NSIC, .512, 127th, NSIC Tournament Champions, NSIC Regular Season 3rd Place
2. Central Missouri (38-13), MIAA, .534, 70th, MIAA Regular Season/Tournament Champions
3. Minnesota-Duluth (39-14), NSIC, .458, 243rd, NSIC Regular Season Champions
4. Arkansas-Monticello (35-14), GAC, .492, 180th, GAC Tournament Champions, GAC Regular Season 2nd Place
5. Missouri Western (38-18), MIAA, .479, 215th, MIAA Regular Season T3rd Place
6. Emporia State (37-17), MIAA, .509, 143rd, MIAA Regular Season 2nd Place
7. SW Oklahoma State (29-14), GAC, .528, 87th, GAC Regular Season Champions
8. Minnesota State (33-16), NSIC, .549, 40th, NSIC Regular Season 4th Place
We begin our second post with what could be one of the favorites for the national championship in Cary. The Huskies of SCSU were the last remaining undefeated team in Division II this season, and they have the numbers to back it up. SCSU is batting .371 as a team, have slugged a mind-boggling 142 doubles, and are slugging .627 as a team, as well. When you have three guys batting well clear of .400, those kinds of numbers tend to happen. Reese Gregory (.411, 18 2B, 20 HR, 62 RBI, .875 SLG, .449 OBP) is a reigning All-American and will be an All-American yet again this season, even without his pitching prowess this year. Judd Davis (.467, 3 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 41 RBI, .650 SLG, .558 OBP) carries one of the more interesting stat lines you'll see over the course of a baseball season, and Karl Sorensen (.418, 15 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 59 RBI, .692 SLG, .449 OBP) rounds out the trio of .400 hitters. That is not to mention Zach Hoffmann (19 2B, 10 HR), Brandon Arnold (20 2B, 10 HR) and Zak Hoffman (15 2B, 12 HR) who have all cleared 15+ doubles and 10+ home runs. Also, that set of Zach/Zak Hoffmann/Hoffman's is certainly confusing, but it is real. On the mound, the numbers aren't as great as at the plate, but they are still impressive, especially at the top with Sheldon Miks (8-2, 1.72 ERA, 78.1 IP, 72 K, .243 BAA). Gregory is still contributing on the mound as well (5-0, 2.41 ERA, 41.0 IP, 44 K, .263 BAA), but not to the extent he did last year. Logan Spitzack (4-0, 1.71 ERA, 18 APP., 6 SV, 42.0 IP, 46 K, .201 BAA) is spectacular out of the bullpen in both short and long-relief roles.
Central Missouri might have the best resume of any team in the region, having won their conference's regular season and tournament title, the only school to do such in the Central. They fit the classic offensive profile of great table-setter, big bat to bring them in when it comes to Jake Alexander (.415, 13 2B, 4 HR, 37 RBI, .486 OBP, 15/17 SB) and Bennett Oliver (.351, 12 2B, 22 HR, 54 RBI, .773 SLG). The Mules lean on three guys, and almost three guys exclusively, when it comes to starting ball games. Ethan Westphal (9-2, 2.72 ERA, 4 CG, 86.0 IP, 90 K, .207 BAA) should be an All-American at the end of the season, while Carlos D'Armas (4-2, 3.87 ERA, 76.2 IP, 85 K, .243 BAA) and Tyler House (6-2, 4.74 ERA, 74.0 IP, 63 K, .259 BAA) have also eaten up a huge amount of innings. Those three guys on their own have pitched 236.2 of the team's 450.2 innings this year, working out to about 6 innings per start between all three guys, a spectacular asset to have in a rotation. That number is even more telling when you consider that the Mules' bullpen has a bevy of guys coming out of it on a regular/fairly-regular basis with ERA's under 4. Grant Gavin (4-3, 3.04 ERA, 22 APP., 10 SV, 26.2 IP, 30 K, .194 BAA) and Lucas Williams (3-1, 3.09 ERA, 20 APP., 3 SV, 35.0 IP, 31 K, .242 BAA) are the stalwarts nailing down that 'pen.
Our next team might include my offensive counterpart to Tusculum's Placido Torres when it comes to numbers to talk about. UMD's Alex Wojciechowski should be the national hitter of the year when the season concludes. He is hitting .458, has smacked 14 doubles, and he leads the nation in home runs (33), RBI (101), total bases (218) and slugging (1.009). That is not to mention he has drawn 26 walks and struck out only 23 times. He is the best hitter in the nation, bar none, and might be the key to victory for the Bulldogs if they want to get to Cary. He isn't alone, of course, joined in this very potent offense by Kyle Comer (.436, 20 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 71 RBI, .754 SLG, .504 OBP) and Jimmy Heck (.435, 12 2B, 17 HR, 78 RBI, .760 SLG, .504 OBP). In case you haven't noticed, that's three guys with silly video game numbers in the same lineup. The Bulldogs go only two-deep, basically, when it comes to the rotation, which is where they need to get a little help to earn the victory here. Spencer Diedrich (5-0, 1.85 ERA, 39.0 IP, 35 K, .200 BAA) and Bo Hellquist (7-2, 3.85 ERA, 53.2 IP, 59 K, .245 BAA) lead the way, while Hellquist also captains my regional tournament all-name team.
With all due respect to the rest of the Arkansas-Monticello lineup, the Weevils are a bit of a one-man show at the plate, as Corey Wood leads the team in almost every offensive category. Wood is batting .355 with 15 doubles, 22 home runs (the only player with more than 8 on the team), 79 RBI (next best is 49), an .812 slugging percentage and a .463 on-base percentage. They have three other players batting over .330, but it drops off from there and leads to *only* (that is sarcasm) a .296 team batting average. When it comes to workhorses in the starting rotation, UAM leads even UCM in that category, with three guys accounting for at least 66.2 innings of work each. Braden Chambers (11-0, 3.23 ERA, 4 CG, 92.0 IP, 71 K, .214 BAA) is the leader of the crew, with Zach McKnight (8-2, 4.02 ERA, 80.2 IP, 63 K, .247 BAA) and Grant Black (4-4, 4.46 ERA, 2 CG, 66.2 IP, 46 K) more than doing their part as the #2 and #3 starters. Out of the bullpen, Ben Aldridge (4-2, 3.64 ERA, 23 APP., 3 SV, 42.0 IP, 39 K, .214 BAA) has racked up a ton of innings, while Dawson Moser (2-2, 1.52 ERA, 21 APP., 9 SV, 23.2 IP, 19 K, .216 BAA) is the late-inning specialist.
The Griffons feature a potent offense that buoys their pitching a bit, led by four guys who have driven in at least 58 runs this year. Landon Mason (.413, 9 2B, .466 OBP) leads the team in hitting, while David Glaude (.404, 22 2B, 6 3B, 10 HR, 74 RBI, .697 SLG, .502 OBP), Cosimo Cannella (.360, 15 2B, 9 HR, 61 RBI, .611 SLG, .441 OBP), Nick Gawley (.343, 15 2B, 7 HR, 61 RBI, .443 OBP, 17/21 SB) and Jeremy Alvarado (.332, 15 2B, 13 HR, 58 RBI, .588 SLG) are the big bats cleaning up the runners on base on a regular basis. The issue with the Griffons comes on the mound, however. They have only one regular pitcher with an ERA under 4, although he is a pretty good one in Preston Bailey (5-1, 3.61 ERA, 25 APP., 4 SV, 57.1 IP, 67 K, .221 BAA).
Emporia State is a more balanced squad when it comes to the numbers, batting .334 as a team, although much like UAM, they are a bit of a one-man show. Evan Koehler (.333, 12 2B, 22 HR, 72 RBI, .750 SLG, .463 OBP) is the clear threat in the lineup by a large margin, being the only guy in double figures in home runs and one of only two players with more than 41 RBI on the squad. The other notable threat to opposing pitchers being Dalton Wheat (.404, 21 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 60 RBI, .630 SLG, .480 OBP, 18/24 SB). They do have six full-time starters batting over .300, with a handful more part-time guys batting well clear of the .300 mark, as well. The pitching situation for the Hornets is in a bit of a better situation than others in this region, with a team ERA of 4.40, and they are led by an awfully good ace in Tyler Stubblefield (9-1, 2.57 ERA, 94.2 IP, 90 K, .236 BAA) who can take down any offense on any day.
SW Oklahoma State is making their first ever appearance in the NCAA Division II baseball tournament, and they did it with a spectacular regular-season showing in the GAC, winning the regular season title by a game over UAM. The offense has two big bats in it with Korbin Polston (.337, 11 2B, 10 HR, 52 RBI, .549 SLG) and Jacob Spring (.311, 10 2B, 6 3B, 13 HR, 58 RBI, .645 SLG), but it drops off an awful lot from there, as nobody else in the lineup has more than 3 home runs on the season. The strength of this SWOSU team comes in pitching, where a pair of terrific starters holds the line, with Jon Chidester (8-5, 2.75 ERA, 4 CG, 95.0 IP, 87 K, .233 BAA) and Gunnar Cook (9-3, 3.55 ERA, 76.0 IP, 83 K, .242 BAA) striking out opposing hitters left and right. In the bullpen, Quintin Dougherty (1-1, 1.88 ERA, 24 APP., 7 SV, 28.2 IP, 34 K, .237 BAA) and Ben Schweinfurth (3-0, 2.32 ERA, 21 APP., 50.1 IP, 33 K, .207 BAA) are two of the best in this region, although Schweinfurth might end up toeing the rubber to start in this tournament if need be.
The Mavericks haven't been their usual selves this season. A team which was thought to threaten for yet another trip to Cary, Mankato had a bit of a rough go of it early in the season. They don't have any huge threats in their lineup, but do have eight guys who are all hitting .277 or above, and the lineup rarely changes. Six of those eight started all 50 games for the Mavs this year. If you have to pick a "leader" of the offense, it is probably Luke Waldek (.356, 13 2B, 7 HR, 50 RBI, .556 SLG, .426 OBP), although Eric Peterson (.364, 10 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 36 RBI, .526 SLG, .487 OBP) leads the team in hitting. Mankato's starting rotation isn't amazing, but it is solid, led by a trio of starters who do yeoman's work. Dalton Roach (5-3, 3.99 ERA, 3 CG, 56.1 IP, 77 K, .266 BAA), Mitchell Bauer (6-3, 4.09 ERA, 2 CG, 55.0 IP, 42 K) and Brody Rodning (5-2, 4.28 ERA, 69.1 IP, 78 K) do the vast majority of the work to begin games, and Roach and Rodning have stellar K/9 ratios.
** MIDWEST REGION **
Host: Quincy
Site: QU Stadium, Quincy, Ill.
Regional Tournament Page
(Reg. Rank. Team (D2 Record), Conference, SOS, SOS Rank, Notes)
1. Quincy (35-16), GLVC, .515, 119th, GLVC Regular Season West Division 2nd Place
2. Grand Valley State (35-16-1), GLIAC, .539, 55th, GLIAC Tournament/Co-Regular Season Champions
3. Indianapolis (37-19), GLVC, .517, 114th, GLVC Tournament Champions, GLVC Regular Season East Division 2nd Place
4. Southern Indiana (33-18), GLVC, .546, 44th, GLVC Regular Season Champions, GLVC Regular Season East Division Champions
5. Missouri S&T (35-17), GLVC, .486, 201st, GLVC Regular Season West Division Champions
6. Ashland (31-20), GLIAC, .511, 135th, GLIAC Regular Season Co-Champions
7. Hillsdale (32-22), GLIAC, .523, 93rd, GLIAC Regular Season 6th Place
8. Alderson Broaddus (31-19), GMAC, .481, 210th, GMAC Tournament Champions, GMAC Regular Season 3rd Place
The Hawks of Quincy were the prohibitive favorites of this region all year long, and they made it stick right to the bitter end, holding off GVSU in a late charge. QU has the best offense in the region, batting .334 as a team and reaching base at a .414 clip. Ryan Snyder (.447, 19 2B, 20 HR, 80 RBI, .884 SLG, .530 OBP) might be the regional player of the year, and he has a good amount of help with David Jacob (.371, 11 2B, 10 HR, 52 RBI, .471 OBP), Justin Blechle (.356, 14 2B, 5 3B, 12 HR, 52 RBI, .701 SLG) and Jake Walters (.340, 14 2B, 11 HR, 55 RBI, .612 SLG). That is not to mention Dominic Miles (.392, 13 2B, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 13/16 SB), who doesn't have quite as powerful of a bat as the other four, but is still a threat every time he steps to the plate. If you want to take advantage of QU, it has to be when they are on defense, as the staff is pulling a 4.67 team ERA so far this year, a little elevated for the usual Midwest contenders. Jake Peterson (5-3, 2.73 ERA, 69.1 IP, 68 K, .249 BAA) is going to be an all-region selection, while Brandon Ley (7-1, 3.12 ERA, 3 CG, 57.2 IP) has done a great job of his own in a flex starting/relief role.
GVSU is a perennial contender in the region and regularly threatens for a trip to Cary, with this year being no different. They are doing it with more of a different look than in years' past, however. Usually the Lakers have a couple big bats and are very power-oriented at the plate, but it has been a switch this year. The Lakers have nobody with more than 5 home runs and only two players with 10+ doubles, but they are still finding ways to win. If you want to talk consistency up and down the lineup, how about nine players with between 21 and 34 RBI on the year? If there is a star on the team, it is utility man Matt Williams. At the plate, Williams is hitting an even .300 with 9 doubles, 5 homers, 31 RBI and a .444 slugging percentage, but where he really shines is on the mound, where he is arguably the best relief pitcher in the country. In 30 appearances, he is 3-0 with a minuscule 0.22 ERA, a nation-leading 20 saves, and 56 strikeouts in 40.1 innings with only 13 hits allowed (a .097 batting average against). So if the Lakers get a lead in the 7th inning or later, it is almost a foregone conclusion, and there is statistical evidence to back that up, with the Lakers going 29-0 this year when leading after 6, 19-0 when leading after 7, and 21-0 when leading after 8 innings.
Indianapolis is a very balanced team compared to the others above them, with a .307 team batting average, led by Colin Hawk (.369, 28 2B (!), 8 HR, 53 RBI, .621 SLG, .422 OBP), Anthony Asalon (.361, 12 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 37 RBI, .557 SLG) and Kyle Orloff (.335, 16 2B, 6 HR, 56 RBI, .522 SLG). The Greyhounds have seven guys with 10+ doubles, although nobody is in double digits for home runs. The strength of UIndy is on the mound, where their starting rotation is stellar three-deep, with Matthew Kaplanis (9-1, 3.24 ERA, 3 CG, 86.0 IP, 73 K), Jake Shaw (5-5, 3.60 ERA, 4 CG, 85.0 IP, 78 K) and Connor Mailloux (5-5, 3.90 ERA, 2 CG, 64.2 IP, 37 K). They also boast a relief pitcher of their own who is one of the region's best in Dylan Stutsman (6-1, 1.90 ERA, 27 APP., 11 SV, 42.2 IP, 43 K, .192 BAA).
Southern Indiana is an intriguing team because of the experience they carry. USI won the national title in 2014, and many of the players on that squad are among the team's best now in 2016. Kyle Kempf (.352, 17 2B, 3 HR, 42 RBI, .439 OBP), Ryan Bertram (.351, 15 2B, 41 RBI, .420 OBP) and Sam Griggs (.336, 11 2B, 7 HR, 47 RBI, .507 SLG) are among the team leaders on offense, with Kempf, Bertram, Hamilton Carr (.333, 9 2B, .430 SLG, 18/21 SB) and Trent Gunn (16 2B, 31 RBI) being guys who were starters on that 2014 title-winning team. The pitching mound is where USI shines, as they are the only team in this regional who go four-deep in the rotation with good success. Devin Williams (5-3, 1.95 ERA, 4 CG, 64.2 IP, 50 K, .239 BAA) is the undisputed ace of the staff, and is followed by Colin Nowak (6-3, 3.10 ERA, 69.2 IP, 52 K, .254 BAA), Austin Krizan (4-1, 3.48 ERA, 3 CG, 62.0 IP) and Lucas Barnett (6-5, 3.76 ERA, 5 CG, 79.0 IP, 73 K, .244 BAA).
The Miners of Missouri S&T have one of the better offenses in the region despite having a black hole of power. They have one (!) player with more than 2 (!!) home runs this year, and that is Nick Ulrich (.321, 16 2B, 7 HR, 52 RBI, .533 SLG), who leads the team in almost every offensive category. Eli Miller (.409, 10 2B, 6 3B, 39 RBI, .547 SLG, .469 OBP, 20/24 SB) is a threat at the plate as well, just not to deposit one over the fence usually. The pitching staff is solid up and down, led by a pair of good starters in Aaron Bedsworth (8-3, 2.90 ERA, 7 CG, 80.2 IP, 67 K, .269 BAA) and Keith Coulson (10-2, 3.66 ERA, 5 CG, 76.1 IP). The Miners are also yet another team with a terrific relief arm, and it is their closer as well in Ethan Krenning (1-0, 1.62 ERA, 17 APP., 9 SV, .207 BAA).
Ashland is somewhat of a tough nut to crack when it comes to projecting them. They have a stellar offense, batting .326 as a team, rivaling Quincy for the best in the tournament. The two big bats in the lineup are Mackenzie Hampshire (.384, 11 2B, 5 HR, 53 RBI, .457 OBP) and J.P. Sorma (.383, 11 2B, 15 HR, 54 RBI, .447 OBP, .690 SLG), but the pitching rotation has the region's best starter in it in Brandyn Sittinger, a guy who will be an MLB draft pick in June. He's 10-0 with a 2.34 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 80.2 innings, landing him GLIAC Pitcher of the Year accolades. Not to mention, the Eagles still have Jake Baldwin on the staff, a former All-American who is coming back from injury, but still went 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 21 innings this year in only five starts.
Hillsdale is a dark horse in this regional tournament, with a terrific offense that is hitting .327 as a team, led by GLIAC Player of the Year Luke Ortel (.470, 26 2B (!), 11 HR, 49 RBI, .512 OBP, 29/34 SB), Ethan Wiskur (.378, 15 2B, 6 HR, 48 RBI), Connor Bartlett (.358, 13 2B, 11 HR, 44 RBI), Chris McDonald (.343, 10 2B, 12 HR, 59 RBI) and Tad Sobieszczanski (.321, 11 HR, 42 RBI), giving the Chargers a very dangerous half of a lineup when it comes to extra base power. The downfall for Hillsdale comes on the mound, where they are carrying a team ERA north of 6.50 and no starters with an ERA under 5. They do have a spectacular bullpen arm in Evan Chalker, however (3-0, 0.41 ERA, 16 APP., 22 IP).
The Battlers are going to be the underdogs through this tournament, having upset Trevecca Nazarene in the GMAC Tournament to take the automatic bid. They are no slouches, but haven't faced nearly the competition everyone else has. A-B is led on offense by Marquis Collier (.427, 29 2B (!), 4 HR, 55 RBI, .659 SLG, .495 OBP) and Jordan Martin (.373, 15 2B, 5 HR, 34 RBI, .568 SLG, .415 OBP), although they have seven players in the lineup with at least 27 RBI and six hitting .315 or above. The secret weapon for A-B is their starting rotation, which has a three-headed monster that is better than most others in this region, with Randy Dobnak (7-2, 2.35 ERA, 5 CG, 76.2 IP, 88 K, .230 BAA), Zach Thompson (3-2, 2.91 ERA, 52.2 IP, 49 K, .245 BAA) and Tyler Stage (8-2, 3.19 ERA, 3 CG, 67.2 IP, 73 K, .238 BAA) all being well above average, and very good at striking people out.
** SOUTH CENTRAL REGION **
Host: Colorado Mesa
Site: Sam Suplizio Field, Grand Junction, Colo.
Regional Tournament Page
(Reg. Rank. Team (D2 Record), Conference, SOS, SOS Rank, Notes)
1. Colorado Mesa (41-11), RMAC, .540, 53rd, RMAC Regular Season/Tournament Champions
2. St. Edward's (40-10), Heartland, .519, 103rd, Heartland Regular Season/Tournament Champions
3. Angelo State (35-20), LSC, .550, 38th, LSC Regular Season Champions
4. West Texas A&M (36-18), LSC, .561, 26th, LSC Tournament Champions, LSC Regular Season 3rd Place
5. Texas A&M-Kingsville (32-17), LSC, .553, 33rd, LSC Regular Season 2nd Place
6. Lubbock Christian (35-14), Heartland, .489, 193rd, Heartland Regular Season 2nd Place
CMU has been one of the top teams in the nation all year, and dominated the RMAC yet again, led by a well-balanced team that bats .329 and carries a team ERA of only 3.03. Alex Fife (.368, 15 2B, 6 HR, 29 RBI, .585 SLG, .491 OBP) is the leader on offense, but gets a lot of help by James Young III (.352, 11 2B, 6 HR, 35 RBI, .543 SLG, 19/24 SB), Kyle Serrano (.347, 15 2B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, .520 SLG, .440 OBP) and Ben Chamberlin (.344, 12 2B, 8 HR, 32 RBI, .625 SLG). The star of the team as a whole comes to the mound every couple games, as JR McDermott might be the top starting pitcher in the country, carrying a 7-0 record with a 0.92 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 68.1 innings with a .179 batting average against. The starting rotation doesn't fall off much from there, either, with Tanner Herdt (7-2, 2.15 ERA, 4 CG, 71.0 IP, 85 K, .185 BAA) and Matt Allen (6-1, 2.51 ERA, 2 CG, 75.1 IP, 60 K, .239 BAA) easily capable of being the aces on their own teams if they needed to be. Nick Borowski (6-2, 1.52 ERA, 18 APP., 6 SV, 47.1 IP, 52 K, .223 BAA) and Tyler Ehlers (4-1, 2.88 ERA, 5 SV, 40.2 IP, 35 K, .197 BAA) form possibly the best bullpen duo in the nation, too. Don't fall behind the Mavs, because odds are you are going to stay there, is the idea to take from this.
For the #2 team in the region, the numbers on both offense and on the mound might be even better. The Hilltoppers are led by another draft pick in June's upcoming draft in J.D. Arrowood (.384, 23 2B, 17 HR, 61 RBI, .778 SLG, .466 OBP), while Romeo Cortina (.349, 19 2B, 14 HR, 56 RBI, .699 SLG, .439 OBP) and Joseph Olson (.371, 18 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 46 RBI, .571 SLG, .423 OBP) highlight an offense that bats .330 as a team. Most years, you can rely on SEU to have a stud or two on the mound, and this year is no different, as they easily go four-deep in the rotation, all with stellar numbers. They have a pair of aces in Eric Hester (9-2, 1.70 ERA, 2 CG, 69.0 IP, 59 K, .232 BAA) and Collin Sherrod (10-1, 2.00 ERA, 2 CG, 76.1 IP, 88 K, .213 BAA), while Stuart Springer (9-1, 2.25 ERA, 72.0 IP, 62 K, .243 BAA) and Cameron Stanton (10-1, 2.89 ERA, 2 CG, 96.2 IP, 87 K, .244 BAA) give them a host of great arms to roll out to the mound on consecutive days. When it comes to a regional tournament schedule, having good starting pitching is usually what wins, and SEU has that in spades.
Angelo State doesn't have the outrageous offensive numbers the teams ahead of them do, but they do have a bonafide star in Paxton DeLaGarza (.343, 16 2B, 9 HR, 43 RBI, .581 SLG, .405 OBP), who leads the team in almost every offensive category. Much like the other teams mentioned before, however, the Rams' strength is on the mound, where Bryce Zak (8-2, 2.64 ERA, 3 CG, 95.1 IP, 135 K, .208 BAA) and Matt Shannon (6-5, 2.69 ERA, 4 CG, 100.1 IP, 106 K, .249 BAA) are two of the best strikeout artists in the country. Graylon Brown (6-6, 2.30 ERA, 25 APP., 9 SV, 58.2 IP, 43 K, .247 BAA) also gives them one of the better closers in the region, as well.
Yet again, West Texas A&M features a team that leans on a balanced offense and a good pitching staff to get the job done. The offense doesn't have any stars (nobody has more than 6 HR this year), but they do have seven players who have 10+ doubles on the season. Trace Hansen (.373, 15 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 27 RBI, .563 SLG, .449 OBP, 19/22 SB) leads the team in many offensive categories, and is one of 9 players with at least 20 RBI on the year. Austin Moore (9-3, 2.94 ERA, 5 CG, 88.2 IP, 117 K, .208 BAA) gives the Buffs an all-region performer who can strike out just about anyone, while Kyle Tinius (4-3, 2.30 ERA, 26 APP., 14 SV, 47.0 IP, 36 K, .262 BAA) is one of the top closers in the region, much like ASU's Brown.
In case you haven't noticed, the LSC is a very tight-knit group. Kingsville is built much the same as Angelo and WTAM in terms of offense, with no real star, but a lot of consistency and threats up and down the lineup. Dalton Perry (.389, 16 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 38 RBI, .681 SLG, .473 OBP) leads the team in most offensive categories, while Hayden Vesely (.315, 16 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 45 RBI, .565 SLG, .411 OBP) and Pablo Hernandez (.306, 8 HR, 34 RBI, .542 SLG) join him as the power bats in the lineup. Vesely also finds himself as one of the better pitchers on the squad, going 4-2 with a 3.35 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 48.1 innings of work with a .234 batting average against in 13 appearances. The stud of the rotation is Preston Plovanich (7-2, 2.89 ERA, 2 CG, 74.2 IP, 60 K, .253 BAA), and they have two cornerstones in the bullpen in Lance Elling (4-1, 2.76 ERA, 17 APP., 5 SV, 29.1 IP, 41 K, .188 BAA) and Trey Taylor (2-1, 2.97 ERA, 24 APP., 2 SV, 33.1 IP, 34 K, .262 BAA).
The Chaps of Lubbock Christian might appear to be a little over-matched when it comes to the schedule they have faced, but they still have one of the better offenses in the region, hitting .333 as a team. Yet again, they don't have any offensive stars, but Hunter McFall (.428, 16 2B, 5 HR, 54 RBI, .602 SLG, .498 OBP) is an all-region performer and one of seven guys batting at least .299 on the team. Just like the others, they have a stud of their own in the starting rotation in Guillaume Blanchette (11-2, 1.70 ERA, 8 CG, 106.0 IP, 104 K), one of the best in not only the region, but the country.
** WEST REGION **
Host: California Baptist
Site: Lancer Outdoor Athletic Complex, Riverside, Calif.
Regional Tournament Page
(Reg. Rank. Team (D2 Record), Conference, SOS, SOS Rank, Notes)
1. California Baptist (39-11), PacWest, .491, 185th, PacWest Regular Season Champions
2. Dixie State (38-12), PacWest, .504, 157th, PacWest Regular Season 2nd Place
3. Cal Poly Pomona (35-17), CCAA, .509, 140th, CCAA Regular Season Champions
4. Chico State (32-20), CCAA, .490, 190th, CCAA Tournament Champions, CCAA Regular Season North Divisino 3rd Place
5. Cal State-Monterey Bay (33-19), CCAA, .494, 178th, CCAA Regular Season North Division 1st Place
6. Cal State-East Bay (33-20), CCAA, .501, 162nd, CCAA Regular Season North Division 2nd Place
The Lancers of California Baptist held on to hosting duties most of the year behind a consistent regular season, although it was as close as could be considering Dixie State overtook the #1 spot in the next-to-last regional rankings, but CBU reclaimed it without either team playing a game in the final rankings, most likely due to CBU going 3-1 against Dixie State during the regular season. The Lancers' offense is led by Stephen Lohr (.413, 20 2B, 9 HR, 48 RBI, .672 SLG, .500 OBP), AJ David (.365, 17 2B, 8 HR, 34 RBI, .655 SLG, .414 OBP) and Antonio Chavarria (.323, 14 2B, 12 HR, 42 RBI, .576 SLG, .406 OBP). The strength of the CBU team, however, is by far the pitching staff, which carries a team ERA of 2.39, second in the country. If you want to talk about a three-headed monster, CBU has it in their starting rotation, with Dylan Stowell (9-0, 1.52 ERA, 2 CG, 82.2 IP, 81 K, .235 BAA), Jeremy McDonald (7-0, 2.07 ERA, 2 CG, 78.1 IP, 84 K, .234 BAA) and Tyson Miller (8-3, 2.38 ERA, 2 CG, 94.2 IP, 84 K, .234 BAA) leading the way. Travis Booth (5-4, 2.21 ERA, 53.0 IP, 42 K, .208 BAA) has been a swing pitcher all season, appearing in 16 games with 8 starts. The bullpen is just as good for the Lancers, as Brody Robinson (0-1, 0.45 ERA, 20 APP., 6 SV, 20.0 IP, 19 K, .134 BAA) and Patrick Gonzales (6-1, 1.91 ERA, 23 APP., 37.2 IP, 32 K, .232 BAA) are the leaders of the pack.
The Trailblazers of Dixie State gave it a good run in trying to catch the Lancers, and they made that run with a stellar offense that hit .339 this season. Drew McLaughlin (.404, 13 2B, 5 HR, 42 RBI, .558 SLG, .433 OBP), Tanner Morache (.401, 22 2B, 3 HR, 38 RBI, .570 SLG, .458 OBP) and Samuel Hall (.346, 19 2B, 8 HR, 48 RBI, .598 SLG, .462 OBP) are the trio that lead the team in virtually every offensive category. Dixie State doesn't have quite the rotation that CBU does, but Dylan File (6-1, 3.02 ERA, 83.1 IP, 66 K) and Mason Hilty (9-1, 3.44 ERA, 70.2 IP, 69 K) are more than capable of giving 7 strong innings on any given outing. The strength of the Trailblazers is in the bullpen, where Spencer Greer (3-2, 1.37 ERA, 21 APP., 7 SV, 26.1 IP, 15 K), Walker Williams (2-0, 2.08 ERA, 12 APP., 21.2 IP), Jeremy Alderman (3-1, 2.42 ERA, 15 APP., 22.1 IP, 23 K) and Kolton Brost (3-0, 3.00 ERA, 25 APP., 33.0 IP, 28 K) give DSU a bevy of options to go to beyond the halfway point of any game.
Cal Poly Pomona was the West's representative in Cary last season behind a plethora of next-level talent, and while they haven't been able to replicate the kind of numbers they had last year, they are still more than capable of going to Cary once again. Caleb Romo (.360, 14 2B, 8 HR, 37 RBI, .633 SLG, .420 OBP), Jared James (.316, 14 2B, 7 HR, 36 RBI, .515 SLG, .419 OBP) and Nic Hernandez (12 2B, 7 HR, 29 RBI) are the big bats in a lineup that doesn't go deep very often, but works a lot of deep counts. It is a bit of a shame that CPP is short-staffed on the mound, as one of last year's best arms, Ryan Olson, has been injured since March after he went 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 5 starts. Now, the buck is passed to Michael Koval (8-3, 2.09 ERA, 2 CG, 82.0 IP, 59 K) and Max Bethell (9-4, 2.67 ERA, 91.0 IP, 68 K), who have done more than enough to keep CPP in the running for another regional title.
Chico State used a late-season run and a seemingly out-of-nowhere performance in the CCAA Tournament to earn their spot in the field. Another well-balanced offense with no big stars, Dillon Kelley (.355, 10 2B, 7 HR, 40 RBI, .440 OBP) and Ben Gamba (.353, 14 2B, 6 HR, 62 RBI, .422 OBP) are the two biggest power threats for the Wildcats. Yet again, the strength of Chico is on the mound, where a solid ace in Clayton Gelfand (9-5, 2.28 ERA, 98.2 IP, 81 K) leads a rotation that also boasts Dalton Erb (6-3, 3.81 ERA, 78.0 IP, 66 K) and Hunter Haworth (5-0, 3.86 ERA, 65.1 IP, 47 K).
CSUMB was one of the hottest teams in the nation to begin the season, and rode that start to a regional tournament spot. The Otters are a two-man show at the plate as Kevin Davidson (.320, 17 2B, 12 HR, 50 RBI, .601 SLG) and Hayden Duer (.298, 8 2B, 12 HR, 38 RBI, .532 SLG) lead an offense that strikes out a bit, but draws a fair amount of walks, too. Gabe Katich (5-2, 2.76 ERA, 71.2 IP, 60 K, .195 BAA) is the ace of the staff, but it falls off a lot from there. The bullpen is stellar with Drew Kozain (3-2, 2.08 ERA, 20 APP., 34.2 IP, .252 BAA) and Jake Chutney (3-0, 1.88 ERA, 28.2 IP), but are going to need some help to overcome many of the same teams they've been competing with all year in the CCAA.
East Bay is a bit of a newcomer on the regional scene, they aren't one of the usual suspects we see here, but they have been an opportunistic team all season. The Pioneers have only hit 13 home runs all season, so they aren't a deep threat, but they have a .392 on-base percentage as a team, led by Rudy Navarro (.419, 16 2B, 40 RBI, .522 SLG, .481 OBP) and Troy Resch (.321, 13 2B, 4 HR, 39 RBI, .465 SLG). They have a solid #1 in the rotation in Alex Vesia (7-4, 2.59 ERA, 90.1 IP, 61 K, .218 BAA), while Jacob Call (4-1, 3.39 ERA, 77.0 IP, .245 BAA) is a good #2 for East Bay. Andrew Fernandez (5-3, 3.00 ERA, 23 APP., 45.0 IP, 32 K, .266 BAA) is their best option out of the pen.
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