2007 Myrtle Beach Regional

(capsules compiled by Jamie Learakos, Stuart Smith, Scott Day, Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton)

1. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Conway, S.C.
Automatic bid - won Big South Tournament
2007 Record: 17-4, 48-11 (first in Big South)
Coach: Gary Gilmore (Coastal Carolina, 1980)

Record at school: 455-261, 12 years
Overall record: 708-363, 18 years
Assistant coaches: Kevin Schnall, Brendan Daugherty, Drew Thomas

Team offense: .322 BA, 431 R, 72 HR, .502 SLG%, .414 OBA%, 62/84 SB

Team pitching: 3.41 ERA, 527.2 IP, 531 H, 135 BB, 372 K

Top hitters: Tommy Baldridge (.393/13/56), David Sappelt (.366/10/49), Matt Rademacher (.344/6/38), Chris Raber (.329/17/56), Dom Duggan (.314/9/34), Derek Martin (.302/2/43).

Top pitchers: Bobby Gagg (11-2, 2.75, 104.2 IP, 97 H, 25 BB, 82 K), Nick McCully (6-2, 4 SV, 2.70, 50 IP, 41 H, 18 BB, 39 K), David Anderson (5-3, 10 SV, 3.25, 61 IP, 58 H, 15 BB, 42 K), Andy DeLaGarza (9-2, 3.34, 97 IP, 105 H, 19 BB, 50 K), John Mariotti (8-0, 4.03, 89.1 IP, 95 H, 19 BB, 64 K).

Last NCAA appearance: 2005 (2-2 at Tempe Regional).

Notes: Two years ago, Coastal grabbed a 1-seed at the Tempe Regional. This year, the Chanticleers get a chance to host as a 1-seed as Gary Gilmore’s group continues to impress. The Chants are two wins shy of the school mark of 50 (2005) and proved they could play with anyone, beating Virginia twice and Nebraska twice. Coastal lost only one series all year (Troy). Bobby Gagg was named the conference pitcher of the year after assuming a starting role, and David Sappelt was named the conference player of the year. Andy DeLaGarza was a combined 8-10 with an ERA over 4.25 the past two years before going 9-2 this year. Chris Raber hit one homer as a junior before blasting 17 this year as a senior.

2. Clemson Tigers
Clemson, S.C.

At-large bid from ACC

2007 record: 18-12, 38-21 (second in ACC-Atlantic)

Coach: Jack Leggett (Maine, 1976)

Record at school: 646-280, 14 years

Overall record: 1023-570, 28 years

Assistant coaches: Kevin O’Sullivan, Tom Riginos, Toby Blocknell 

Team offense: .288 BA, 354 R, 57 HR, .439 SLG, .372 OBA, 58/89 SB

Team pitching: 3.66 ERA, 528.1 IP, 520 H, 214 BB, 497 K

Top hitters: Doug Hogan (.327/11/41), Andy D’Alessio (.306/14/41), Marques Smith (.325/11/50), Taylor Harbin (.289/9/55), Wilson Boyd (.283/2/28), Addisson Johnson (.270/1/20), Ben Paulsen (.267/5/20), Brad Chalk (.385/0/16/.514 OBA), Alex Lee (.326/0/5)

Top pitchers: Ryan Hinson (5-2, 2.67, 77.2 IP, 69 H, 37 BB, 58 K), Daniel Moskos (3-5, 3.12, 66.1 IP, 64 H, 32 BB, 70 K, 6 SV), David Kopp (6-2, 3.48, 93.0 IP, 94 H, 27 BB, 73 K), Stephen Clyne (5-2, 2.34, 42.1 IP, 41 H, 16 BB, 46 K), Matt Vaughn (4-0, 2.84, 38.0 IP, 40 H, 12 BB, 36 K), Alan Farina (5-3, 3.42, 52.2 IP, 34 H, 24 BB, 68 K), D.J. Mitchell (4-0, 3.42, 47.1 IP, 42 H, 15 BB, 43 K)

Last time in tournament: 2006 (3-0 at Clemson Regional, 2-0 at Clemson Super Regional, 1-2 at College World Series)

Notes: Clemson went 2-1 at the 2007 ACC Tournament. The Tigers defeated #25 Miami in the first game, 5-4. Addisson Johnson scored on a suicide squeeze by Alex Lee in the 13th inning. Alex Farina picked up the win, throwing 3.2 innings allowing only one hit and one unearned run while striking out six. Clemson dropped the second game of the tournament to Wake Forest, 3-2. In the third game, David Kopp pitched a complete game victory over #3 Florida State. It was Kopp’s first complete game of his career. He gave up one unearned run on six hits and struck out seven. The Tigers will not host a regional this year. They will try to have as much success as last year in the tournament, where they made it to Omaha without losing a game.

3. St. John’s Red Storm
Jamaica, N.Y.

At-large bid from Big East

2007 record: 20-7, 40-17 (tied for first in Big East)

Coach: Ed Blankmeyer (Seton Hall, 1976)

Record at school: 397-245-3, 12 years

Overall record: same

Assistant coaches: Mike Hampton, Scott Brown, Julio Vega

Team offense - .330 BA, 446 R, 37 HR, .456 SLG%, .398 OB%, 81/109 SB

Team pitching – 3.47 ERA, 502.2 IP, 498 H, 161 BB, 398 K

Top hitters – Gil Zayas (.363/4/53/21 2B), Brian Kemp (.361/1/32/25 SB), Sam DeLuca (.352/2/45/18 2B), Jeff Grantham (.340/0/30), Brendan Monaghan (.331/0/34), Chria Anninos (.317/5/31), Anthony Smith (.312/11/47/16 2B), Ryan Mahoney (.304/13/58/15 2B), Chris Joachim (.290/1/32/15 SB)

Top pitchers – Colin Lynch (1-1, 11 saves, 2.45, 33 IP, 24 H, 13 BB, 33 K), George Brown (6-2, 2.93, 73.2 IP, 78 H, 22 BB, 43 K), Scott Barnes (7-2, 3.08, 87.2 IP, 86 H, 33 BB, 92 K), Jared Vecker (7-4, 1 save, 3.11, 72.1 IP, 63 H, 20 BB, 42 K), Matt Tosoni (5-4, 3.71, 63 IP, 74 H, 10 BB, 42 K)

Last NCAA appearance – 2005 (1-2 at Corvallis Regional)

Notes – St. John’s is making its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth under Ed Blankmeyer. St. John’s has been to the College World Series six times. The Red Storm has had at least 40 wins in each of the past three seasons. Blankmeyer was named Big East Coach of the Year for the second time in the past three seasons. St. John’s had four players named First Team All-Big East: pitcher Scott Barnes, first baseman Ryan Mahoney, catcher Brendan Monaghan and third baseman Gil Zayas. Blankmeyer played at Seton Hall and was the starting second baseman for the Pirates’ College World Series teams in 1974 and 1975. He is a member of the Pirate Hall of Fame.

4. VCU Rams
Richmond, Va.
Automatic bid – won CAA Tournament

2007 record: 37-21, 18-11 (four-way tie for first in CAA)
Coach: Paul Keyes (Old Dominion, 1984)
Record at school: 478-287, 13 years
Overall record: same
Assistant coaches: Shawn Stiffler, Tim Haynes, Billy Daniels

Team offense - .303 BA, 379 R, 28 HR, .415 SLG%, .377 OB%, 99/137 SB
Team pitching – 4.47 ERA, 525.0 IP, 566 H, 166 BB, 366 K
Top hitters – Jared Bolden (.393/5/49/17 SB/17 2B), Sergio Miranda (.370/2/36/17 2B), Chris Jackson (.339/3/56/15 SB/14 2B), John Leonard (.314/4/25), Kwan Evans (.286/3/28/10 2B, 18 SB), Richard Gonzalez (.267/1/36)

Top pitchers – Luke Pisker (9-1, 11 saves, 1.87, 62.2 IP, 41 H, 22 BB, 54 K), Mick Mattaliano (5-2, 2 saves, 1.81, 49.2 IP, 47 H, 12 BB, 34 K), Cody Eppley (7-4, 4.45, 83.0 IP, 100 H, 12 BB, 68 K), John Leonard (5-2, 4.90, 90.0 IP, 101 H, 40 BB, 68 K), Phillip Deane, (3-5, 4.02, 65.0 IP, 66 H, 16 BB, 47 K), Bill Wieland (5-2, 5.16, 52.1 IP, 59 H, 18 BB, 31 K)
Last NCAA appearance – 2005 (0-2 at Coral Gables Regional)
Notes – The Black and Gold captured its fourth CAA Championship in the past six seasons and are heading to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in school history and seventh under Paul Keyes. In his first year as a two-way player, senior John Leonard was named CAA tourney MVP as the veteran hit .529 in the four contests with six runs and 11 RBI. Junior Sergio Miranda led the tournament in hits with 10, hitting at a .526 clip with no errors in 31 chances. Prior to the tournament, Miranda earned the CAA Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. The infield of the Rams has not committed an error in the past 10 contests, and the Black and Gold as a team has only made four errors over that span.