2010 Coral Gables Regional

Capsules by Barrett Neale, Michael Perry, Matt Mullen, Andrew Woods, Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton

1. Miami Hurricanes

Miami, Florida

At-large bid from ACC

2010 record: 20-11, 40-17 (third in Coastal Division)

Head coach: Jim Morris (Elon, 1973)

Record at school: 773-295-3, 17 years

Overall record: 1,408-580-4, 32 years

Assistant coaches: J.D. Arteaga, Joe Mercadante, Roger Tomas

Team offense: .293 BA, 430 R, 91 HR, .511 SLG%, .390 OB%, 94/122 SB

Team pitching: 3.68 ERA, 513.2 IP, 476 H, 188 BB, 507 K

Top hitters: Yasmani Grandal (.422/14/56/.754 SLG), Chris Pelaez (.305/9/46), Harold Martinez (.298/19/60/.601 SLG), Nathan Melendres (.297/6/30), Scott Lawson (.284/5/39), Frankie Ratcliff (.273/6/25), Zeke DeVoss (.271/9/33/23-27 SB), Stephen Perez (.255/7/33/21-25 SB)

Top pitchers: E.J. Encinosa (1-1, 1.48, 48.2 IP, 31 H, 21 BB, 61 K), Eric Erickson (4-1, 2.52, 53.2 IP, 48 H, 6 BB, 47 K), Chris Hernandez (8-3, 3.02, 89.1 IP, 80 H, 30 BB, 95 K), Daniel Miranda (5-2, 3.43, 5 SV, 44.2 IP, 36 H, 12 BB, 56 K), Eric Whaley (5-1, 4.46, 42.1 IP, 39 H, 17 BB, 49 K) David Gutierrez (5-1, 4.75, 5 SV, 53 IP, 57 H, 23 BB, 49 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2009 (2-2 at Gainesville Regional)

Notes: This is Miami’s 38^th consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, which is the longest active streak in the nation, and it is the 23^rd time that Miami has been a Regional site. The Hurricanes have played in the CWS 11 times during coach Jim Morris’ tenure, and he set an NCAA record by taking his team to Omaha his first six years on the job. The program has four national titles – 1982, 1985, 1999 and 2001 – which is tied for fifth among Division I teams for the most championships (USC has 12, LSU and Texas have six, Arizona State has five and Cal State Fullerton has four). Junior catcher Yasmani Grandal, who played on the 2009 USA Baseball National Team, was named the ACC Player of the Year. Junior pitcher Chris Hernandez made the All-ACC First Team with Grandal, and both are on the 50-player Golden Spikes Award Watch List. Three Hurricanes were named to the All-ACC Second Team: senior first baseman Scott Lawson, sophomore third baseman Harold Martinez and sophomore relief pitcher Daniel Miranda. The team’s talent is predominantly home-grown, with 16 players on the 31-man roster listing Miami as their hometown, and 11 more coming from other areas of Florida.

2. Texas A&M Aggies

College Station, Texas

Automatic bid - won Big 12 Tournament

2010 record: 14-12-1, 40-19-1 (third in Big 12)

Head coach: Rob Childress (Northwood, 1990)

Record at school: 196-111-2, 5 years

Overall record: 196-111-2, 5 years

Assistant coaches: Matt Deggs, Justin Seely, Mike Clement

Team offense: .301 BA, 364 R, 57 HR, .453 SLG%, .378 OB%, 104-147 SB

Team pitching: 3.48 ERA, 546 IP, 510 H, 179 BB, 561 K

Top hitters: Brodie Greene (.392/12/50/16 2B/23-28 SB), Joe Patterson (.356/7/41/15 2B), Caleb Shofner (.333/6/34), Kevin Gonzalez (.310/7/33), Adam Smith (.277/8/37/10 2B/11-16 SB), Andrew Collaro (.254/3/22/12/20 SB). Scott Arthur (.217/0/8/20-25 SB)

Top pitchers: John Stilson (8-1, 9 SV, 0.87 ERA, 72.1 IP, 44 H, 20 BB, 106 K), Michael Wacha (8-2, 1 SV, 2.42 ERA, 100.1 IP, 76 H, 21 BB, 94 K), Barret Loux (10-2, 2.53 ERA, 96 IP, 69 H, 32 BB, 126 K), Ross Stripling (6-3, 3.80 ERA, 83 IP, 90 H, 24 BB, 80 K), Clayton Ehlert (4-6, 5.21 ERA, 76 IP, 83 H, 23 BB, 60 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2009 (1-2 in Fort Worth Regional)

Notes: Texas A&M is back in the hunt for the fourth time in Rob Childress' five seasons. The former pitching coach has the Aggies primed to make a run due in large part to a staff that limits hitters to a .243 average and boasts a 3.48 team ERA. They also boast a lights-out closer in John Stilson, who has 106 Ks and 20 BB in 72.1 innings. Opponents hit .172 off Stilson, who's just a sophomore. Freshman Michael Wacha has been one of the best rookie arms in the country. Barrett Loux had a pedestrian 3-3 year as a sophomore before exploding to 10-2 this year in 15 starts - opponents hit .196 off him. If there's a worry, it's that the Aggies fall into the losers' bracket - five pitchers total more than 76; then there's two with 33 innings and a huge dropoff from there. Offensively, Brodie Greene has done it all, slugging .661 and stealing 23 bases. He's been playing with a mask after getting hit in the face twice this year and had the game-winning homer in the Big 12 title game vs. Baylor. Senior Joe Patterson has hit 19 homers in his two years in College Station.
 

3. FIU Panthers

Miami, Florida

Automatic bid - won Sun Belt Tournament

2010 record: 18-13, 35-23 (fourth in Sun Belt)

Head coach: Turtle Thomas (High Point, 1975)

Record at school: 89-82, 3 years

Overall record: 89-82, 3 years

Assistant coaches: Sean Allison, Frank Damas, Jose Gutierrez

Team offense: .336, 457 R, 62 HR, .496 SLG%, .421 OB%, 77/102 SB

Team pitching: 5.34, 520.2 IP, 587 H, 213 BB, 455 K

Top hitters: Garrett Wittels (.414/2/57), Mike Martinez (.387/8/52), Jeremy Patton (.373/7/42), Yoandy Barroso (.359/3/23), Pablo Bermudez (.335/8/49), Tim Jobe (.320/8/31), Junior Arrojo (.313/3/25) Jabari Henry (.311/11/50).

Top pitchers: R.J. Fondon (5-3, 4.40, 90 IP, 97 H, 22 BB, 76 K), Aaron Arboleya (5-2, 4.72, 76.1 IP, 69 H, 31 BB, 61 K), Scott Rembiscz (9-4, 4.80, 90 IP, 99 H, 27 BB, 78 K), Daniel DeSimone (3-2, 5.03, 62.2 IP, 78 H, 24 BB, 52 K), Eric Berkowitz (3-5, 5.89, 9 SV, 55 IP, 61 H, 20 BB, 53 K).

Last NCAA appearance: 2002 (0-2 at Gainesville Regional)

Notes: One of the top stories of the 2010 college baseball season, FIU is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. The Sun Belt title was the first since 1999, the Panthers’ first year in the league. Turtle Thomas, regarded as one of the finest assistants in the country before becoming the Panthers’ coach in 2008, has made 14 trips to Omaha with four teams – more than any active head coach in the country. He was a catcher in college, playing two years at Campbell before playing two years at High Point. Garrett Wittels has made national headlines for the past few weeks – he has a 54-game hitting streak, which is four short of the Division I record set by Oklahoma State’s Robin Ventura. Two buried stats on Wittels: 1) he has only struck out 19 times in 227 at-bats and 2) he’s pitched 5.2 innings this year and has a 1.59 ERA. The rest of the Panthers can hit. Jeremy Patton was third on the team in hits and had a huge three-run homer in the Sun Belt tourney to help beat FAU the second time. Mike Martinez leads the team with 27 extra-base hits.

4. Dartmouth Big Green

Hanover, New Hampshire

Automatic bid – Won Ivy League Championship

2010 record: 13-7, 26-17 (first in Red Rolfe Division)

Head coach: Bob Whalen (Maine, 1979)

Record at school: 402-412-1, 21 years

Overall record: 402-412-1, 21 years

Assistant coaches: Jonathan Anderson, Nicholas Enriquez

Team offense: .304 BA, 285 R, 31 HR, .463 SLG%, .389 OBP, 34-53 SB

Team pitching: 5.99 ERA, 353 IP, 469 H, 74 BB, 250 K

Top hitters: Chris O’Dowd (.382/6/25/11 2B), Jason Brooks (.357/6/42), Joe Sclafani (.329/1/20/11-16 SB), Zack Bellenger (.326/5/29/12 2B), Ennis Coble (.314/2/23), Jake Carlson (.309/2/20), Jeff Onstott (.284/3/30)

Top pitchers: Kyle Hunter (2-0, 3.69, 53.2 IP, 68 H, 6 BB, 36 K), Cole Sulser (7-0, 3.76, 4 SV, 52.2 IP, 48 H, 9 BB, 55 K), Ryan Smith (3-1, 4.57, 6 SV, 21.2 IP, 22 H, 4 BB, 19 K), Kyle Hendricks (4-5, 6.09, 54.2 IP, 70 H, 11 BB, 51 K), Robert Young (3-5, 6.79, 1 SV, 58.1 IP, 92 H, 11 BB, 38 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2009 (0-2 at Chapel Hill Regional)

Notes: Dartmouth is making its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance after winning its second straight Ivy League title. The Big Green reached the College World Series in 1970 after winning District 1. Dartmouth defeated Iowa State in the first round in Omaha before falling to Florida State and USC. Bob Whalen now owns the school record for career victories. The Big Green had no First Team All-Ivy selections, but four on Second Team: RP Cole Sulser, 1B Jason Brooks, SS Joe Sclafani, OF Jake Carlson. Former major leaguers from Dartmouth include Brad Ausmus, Jim Beattie, Pete Broberg, Mark Johnson and Mike Remlinger. Catcher Chris O’Dowd was named Ivy League co-Rookie of the Year. His father, Dan, is the general manager for the Colorado Rockies. Jeff Onstott ran a marathon at age 14. Carlson enjoys golf and has had a hole-in-one.