2009 Tempe Super Regional

Capsules compiled by Christina De Nicola, Duncan Phillips, Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton

5. Arizona State Sun Devils

Tempe, Arizona

Automatic bid from Pac-10, 3-0 at Tempe Regional

2009 record: 21-6, 47-12 (first in Big 10)

Head coach: Pat Murphy (Florida Atlantic, 1982)

Record at school: 625-282-1, 15 years

Overall record: 1,005-453-4, 25 seasons

Assistant head coach: Tim Esmay

Assistant coaches: Andy Stankiewicz, Josh Holliday

Team offense: .303 BA, 476 R, 70 HR, .497 SLG%, .420 OB%, 104-139 SB

Team pitching: 2.79 ERA, 526.2 IP, 460 H, 143 BB, 542 K

Top hitters: Jason Kipnis (.387/15/68/20 2B/.731 SLG%/24-28 SB), Carlos Ramirez (.341/18/69/13 2B), Matt Newman (.310/7/51/12 2B), Drew Maggi (.305/0/21/20-21 SB), Kole Calhoun (.297/9/39/14 2B), Riccio Torrez (.294/6/36)

Top pitchers: Mike Leake (15-1, 1.23, 7 CG, 124.2 IP, 71 H, 20 BB, 143 K), Josh Spence (8-1, 1 SV, 2.37, 79.2 IP, 74 H, 24 BB, 99 K), Jason Franzblau (3-2, 2.40, 48.2 IP, 51 H, 15 BB, 42 K), Mitchell Lambson (8-3, 4 SV, 2.81, 73.2 IP, 49 H, 23 BB, 84 K), Seth Blair (7-2, 1 SV, 3.16, 77 IP, 68 H, 29 BB, 78 K), Jordan Swagerty (4-1, 4 SV, 4.55, 55.1 IP, 63 H, 13 BB, 47 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2008 (3-0 in Tempe Regional, 1-2 in Tempe Super Regional)

Notes: The Sun Devils are making their 10th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament, pushing the program’s total to 33 trips. ASU is hosting a Super Regional for the third straight season. The Sun Devils swept two games from Mississippi in 2007 and lost two of three to eventual national champion Fresno State a season ago. ASU has made 20 trips to the College World Series. The last time the Sun Devils won the NCAA Championship was 1981; they have five total titles. ASU leads the nation in win percentage at .797. The Sun Devil pitching staff leads the country in ERA at 2.79. Junior right-hander Mike Leake is the individual leader at 1.23 and junior lefty Josh Spence is 13th at 2.37. Leake also is tops in Division I with 15 victories and second with 143 strikeouts. Leake, the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, is one of five finalists for the Golden Spikes Award and was the Most Outstanding Player of the Tempe Regional for the second time. He also earned the honor in 2007. Junior outfielder Jason Kipnis was named Pac-10 Player of the Year. Pat Murphy was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year for the third straight season and the fourth time overall. The Sun Devils are 34-4 at home this season. ASU and Clemson have only met once. The Sun Devils topped the Tigers 10-7 in the first round of the 1977 College World Series on their way to the national title.

Clemson Tigers

Clemson, South Carolina

At-large bid from ACC, 4-1 in Clemson Regional

2009 record: 19-11, 44-20 (second in Atlantic Division)

Head coach: Jack Leggett (Maine, 1976)

Record at school: 724-329-1, 16 years

Overall record: 1,101-619-1, 30 years

Assistant coaches: Tom Riginos, Kyle Bunn, Michael Johnson

Team offense: .303 BA, 447 R, 64 HR, .457 SLG%, .392 OB%, 80-105 SB

Team pitching: 3.57 ERA, 577.1 IP, 544 H, 195 BB, 534 K

Top hitters: Ben Paulsen (.369/13/60), Wilson Boyd (.349/3/46/), Mike Freeman (.338/4/44/11-16 SB), Jeff Schaus (.326/12/49/9-14 SB), Brad Miller (.273/3/36/16-21 SB), Kyle Parker (.263/12/52), John Nester (.304/5/33)

Top pitchers: Casey Harman (7-3, 1 SV, 3.78 ERA, 81 IP, 88 H, 14 BB, 85 K), Chris Dwyer (5-5, 4.85 ERA, 81.2 IP, 72 H, 30 BB, 88 K), Scott Weismann (3-1, 1 SV, 1.23 ERA, 36.2 IP, 26 H, 15 BB, 28 K), Matt Vaughn (4-1, 4 SV, 2.30 ERA, 31.1 IP, 31 H, 10 BB, 23 K), Tomas Cruz (2-3, 4 SV, 3.38 ERA, 45.1 IP, 31 H, 16 BB, 39 K), Ryan Hinson (2-1, 3.79 ERA, 38 IP, 33 H, 18 BB, 46 K),

Last NCAA appearance: 2007 (3-0 in Myrtle Beach Regional, 0-2 Starkville Super Regional)

Notes: Clemson makes its 34th NCAA Tournament appearance and 22nd in the past 23 years, including its first since 2007. The Tigers, who hosted a regional for the 12th time since 1975, rallied back from a 5-1 deficit to win the championship game 6-5 on a Kyle Parker two-run single in the eighth off Oklahoma State closer Randy McCurry. Before the do-or-die game, Clemson had to win a doubleheader on Sunday. The team did just that, easily handling Tennessee Tech 10-0 and the Cowboys 15-1. During the doubleheader, both of Clemson’s starting pitchers threw 8+ innings – freshman Scott Weismann’s eight scoreless in a 10-0 victory in game one and freshman Chris Dwyer’s 8 2/3 in a 15-1 win. Five Tigers made it to the Clemson Regional All-Tournament Team – three position players, a designated hitter and starting pitcher. Clemson will take on Arizona State in the Tempe Super Regional. Their pitching staff is second in the ACC behind Virginia - the third-best in the country. Five Tigers combined on a no-hitter against USC Upstate on March 18. It was the first no-hitter for Clemson since 1984. On April 11, Parker, who also plays quarterback for the football team, went 13 for 21 for 171 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions in the Spring Football Game. Later that day, he went 3 for 7 with two homers and five RBI in a doubleheader against Miami. Head coach Jack Leggett captained the 1976 Maine team that played in the College World Series. He was a two-time All-Yankee Conference selection in football as a defensive back and placekicker. He still holds the Maine record for longest field goal at 52 yards.