2008 Raleigh Regional

1. North Carolina State Wolfpack

Raleigh, North Carolina

At-large bid from ACC

2008 record: 18-11, 38-20 (second in ACC Atlantic)

Head coach: Elliott Avent (VCU, 1984)

Record at school: 454-278, 12 years

Overall record: 679-491, 20 years

Assistant coaches: Tom Holliday, Chris Hart, Brian Ward

Team offense: .301 avg./403 runs/117 doubles/58 HR/372 RBI/267 BB/52 SBs

Team pitching: 3.41 ERA/2 CG/17 saves/514.2 IP/458 H/480 Ks

Top hitters: Ryan Pond (.337 avg./49 runs/15 doubles/8 HR/43 RBI/4 SBs), Marcus Jones (.329 avg./42 runs/13 doubles/7 HR/47 RBIs/12 SBs), Pat Ferguson (.325 avg./37 runs/10 doubles/9 HR/38 RBI/29 BB), Matt Payne (.313 avg./39 runs/9 HR/47 RBI/27 BB/6 SBs), Jeremy Synan (.309 avg./40 runs/6 HR/38 RBI/6 SBS)

Top pitchers: Clayton Shunick (7-5/2.12 ERA/1 CG/89.1 IP/69 H/100 Ks), Jake Buchanan (2-2/3.10 ERA/1 CG/3 saves/49.1 IP/34 H/34 Ks), Alex Sogard (4-2/4.21 ERA/47.0 IP/42 H/33 Ks), Erik Surkamp (5-2/4.39 ERA/69.2 IP/72 H/82 Ks), Jimmy Gillheeney (2-0/1.12 ERA/10 saves/32.0 IP/24 H/42 Ks)

Last NCAA appearance: 2007 (1-2 in Columbia, S.C., Regional)

Notes: This is the 22^nd NCAA appearance for the Wolfpack. Elliott Avent has taken NC State to the NCAA regionals for the ninth time, including each of the past six seasons.

2. South Carolina Gamecocks

Columbia, South Carolina

At-large bid from SEC

2008 record: 15-15, 38-21 (fifth in SEC East)

Head coach: Ray Tanner (North Carolina State, 1980)

Record at school: 538-241, 12 years

Overall record: 933-414, 21 years

Assistant coaches: Mark Calvi, Monte Lee, Sammy Esposito

Team offense: .299 BA, 416 R, 103 HR, .503 SLG%, .390 OBP, 31-53 SB

Team pitching: 4.38 ERA, 530.1 IP, 522 H, 202 BB, 469 K

Top hitters: Justin Smoak (.377/21/66/55 BB), Reese Havens (.363/16/53/55 BB), Whit Merrifield (.321/3/22/10 SB), James Darnell (.310/18/78), Phil Disher (.309/19/57), Andrew Crisp (.302/2/21)

Top pitchers: Nick Godwin (7-3, 3.02 ERA, 86.1 IP, 67 H, 22 BB, 77 K), Blake Cooper (5-6, 4.22 ERA, 85.1 IP, 94 H, 23 BB, 50 K), Sam Dyson (7-0, 3.27 ERA, 44 IP, 32 H, 26 BB, 43 K), Brandon Todd (3-1, 5 SV, 5.79 ERA, 23.1 IP, 26 H, 14 BB, 34 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2007 (3-0 in Columbia, S.C., Regional, 1-2 in Chapel Hill Super Regional)

Notes: South Carolina got off to a hot start and was ranked in the top ten until an early April sweep at Georgia. The Gamecocks struggled to win on the road throughout their SEC schedule, posting a 4-11 mark away from Sarge Frye Field. They feature one of the most powerful lineups in the country, headlined by four players with 16 or more homers. South Carolina's 103 home runs was the third most in Division I this season. Justin Smoak is the best known of the quartet, he earned All-SEC first team honors, the other three sluggers were selected to the All-SEC second team. This will be the ninth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance for the Gamecocks.

3. Charlotte 49ers

Charlotte, North Carolina

Automatic bid - won Atlantic 10 Tournament

2008 record: 19-8, 43-14 (tied for first in A-10)

Head coach: Loren Hibbs (Wichita State, 1984)

Record at school: 495-399-3, 16 years

Overall record: 495-399-3, 16 years

Assistant coaches: Bo Durkac, Brandon Hall, Brett Hall

Team offense: .331, 484 R, 53 HR, .488 SLG%, .414 OB%, 92-118 SB

Team pitching: 4.33 ERA, 515.1 IP, 538 H, 186 BB, 360 K

Top hitters: Corey Shaylor (.372/2/40/10 HBP), Rob Lyerly (.367/14/73/25 2B), Brad McElroy (.364/7/46/19-21 SB), O’Brien Taylor (.360/2/25/11-15 SB), Chris Taylor (.343/19/69/18 2B), Shayne Moody (.343/0/36/13-15 SB), Aaron Bray (.333/3/42/18-26 SB), Alex Burt (.278/2/26)

Top pitchers: Kelly McLain (7-0, 2 SV, 1.98, 50 IP, 38 H, 9 BB, 50 K), Bryan Hamilton (6-2, 3 SV, 2.60, 34.2 IP, 22 H, 13 BB, 33 K), Sam Pierce (4-0, 4 SV, 3.08, 26.1 IP, 20 H, 7 BB, 26 K), Joe Yermal (8-1, 3.81, 82.2 IP, 82 H, 20 BB, 44 K), Zach Rosenbaum (5-2, 4.34, 64.1 IP, 59 K, 40 BB, 41 K), B.J. Hagen (3-2, 1 SV, 5.08, 67.1 IP, 88 H, 26 BB, 31 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2007 (2-2 at Columbia, S.C., Regional)

Notes: Head coach Loren Hibbs holds the NCAA record for runs in a season with 125 in 1982. He was named to the College World Series all-tournament team that season with Wichita State. Charlotte won a school-record 49 games in 2007 and has won 40 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history. The 49ers are the first team to win back-to-back A-10 titles since Virginia Tech did it in 1999-2000. On the Charlotte roster, 22 of the 32 players are from the state of North Carolina. Brad McElroy was an All-American in 2007 and preseason All-American in 2008.

4. James Madison Dukes

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Automatic bid - won Colonial Athletic Association Tournament

2008 record: 20-9, 38-17 (second in CAA)

Head coach: Spanky McFarland (Hillsdale, 1976)

Record at school: 342-281-2, 11 years

Overall record: 518-505-3, 19 years

Assistant coaches: Jay Sullenger, Ted White, Josiah Jones

Team offense: .322 BA, 419 R, 71 HR, 382 RBI, .518 SLG%, .411 OB%, 77/108 SB

Team pitching: 5.64 ERA, 488.1 IP, 522 H, 183 BB, 439 K

Top hitters: Brett Sellers (.414/16/52/15-20 SB), Alex Foltz (.371/7/35/19-25 SB), Joe Lake (.350/2/33/14 2B), Steven Caseres (.349/21/68/19 2B), David Herbek (.307/3/18), McKinnon Langston (.291/1/33/14 2B), Matt Browning (.278/8/36/15 2B)

Top pitchers: Kevin Munson (2-0, 4 SV, 2.27, 31.2 IP, 20 H, 9 BB, 34 K), Turner Phelps (7-0, 1 SV, 3.80, 71 IP, 58 H, 38 BB, 83 K), Kurt Houck (7-2, 4.86, 76 IP, 76 H, 27 BB, 71 K), Justin Wood (4-3, 5.19, 67.2 IP, 82 H, 13 BB, 44 K), Trevor Kaylid (3-3, 5.77, 57.2 IP, 71 H, 17 BB, 44 K), Trevor Knight (7-2, 5 SV, 6.00, 27 IP, 28 H, 8 BB, 41 K), Kyle Hoffman (6-4, 6.28, 81.2 IP, 93 H, 26 BB, 74 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2002 (1-2 at Columbia Regional)

Notes: JMU went 4-0 to capture the 2008 CAA Championship as the No. 2 seed. Alex Foltz was named the tourney’s Most Outstanding Player after hitting .647 (11-17) with seven runs and seven RBI. JMU is 33-1 this season when leading after eight innings. The Dukes are 26-2 when holding opponents to five runs or less. JMU is making its seventh NCAA regional appearance. This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the Dukes’ appearance in the College World Series. JMU remains the only team from the state of Virginia to reach Omaha.