2014 Houston Regional

(capsules compiled by Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton, Colin Graves, John Whittle, Matt Mullen)

1. Rice Owls

Houston, Texas

Automatic bid - won Conference USA Tournament

2014 record: 23-7, 41-18 (first)

Head coach: Wayne Graham (Texas, 1970)

Record at school: 998-400, 22 years

Overall record: 1,573-513, 33 years

Assistant coaches: Patrick Hallmark, Clay Van Hook, Scott Shepperd

Team offense: .294 BA, 327 R, 23 HR, .388 SLG%, .364 OBP, 31-56 SB

Team pitching: 2.50 ERA, 543.2 IP, 459 H, 186 BB, 462 K

Top hitters: Shane Hoelscher (.332/0/25/21 2B, Skyler Ewing (.330/8/46/14 2B), Michael Aquino (.323/7/44/16 2B), John Clay Reeves (.316/6/38), Keenan Cook (.283/0/29/11-16 SB), Connor Teykl (.264/0/22)

Top pitchers: Blake Fox (12-0, 1.38 ERA, 97.2 IP, 79 H, 26 BB, 65 K), Matt Ditman (5-5, 9 SV, 1.72 ERA, 68 IP, 47 H, 12 BB, 77 K), Kevin McCanna (8-3, 3.81 ERA, 86.1 IP, 88 H, 21 BB, 60 K), Chase McDowell (4-5, 3.60 ERA, 65 IP, 71 H, 19 BB, 39 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2013 (3-1 at Eugene Regional, 0-2 at Raleigh Super Regional)

Notes: The Owls had five players drafted last year and reloaded perfectly fine. They have won 18 conference titles in a row and have been to the Super Regionals 10 times since it was adopted in 1999. The Owls had six players selected for All-Conference USA honors. These players are Michael Aquino, Skyler Ewing, Blake Fox, Shane Hoelscher, John Clay Reeves and John Duplantier. John Clay Reeves was also named the Conference USA All-Academic Team. Rice is hosting a regional for the 11th time in the past 14 years.

2. Texas Longhorns

Austin, Texas

At-large bid from Big 12

2014 record: 13-11, 38-18

Head coach: Augie Garrido (Fresno State, 1961)

Record at school: 761-365-2, 18 years

Overall record: 1,912-889-9, 46 years

Assistant coaches: Skip Johnson, Tommy Nicholson, Ryan Russ

Team offense: .266 BA, 261 R, 19 HR, .358 SLG%, .363 OBP

Team pitching: 2.45 ERA, 500.1 IP, 416 H, 190 BB, 318 K

Top hitters: Madison Carter (.367/1/21), Mark Payton (.319/1/26), Zane Gurwitz (.286/2/23), C.J. Hinojosa (.282/1/24), Brooks Marlow (.279/2/37), Ben Johnson (.279/6/41)

Top pitchers: Travis Duke (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 21 IP, 15 H, 4 BB, 16 K), Nathan Thornhill (6-2, 1.51 ERA, 83.2 IP, 57 H, 31 BB, 49 K), Chad Hollingsworth (2-0, 1.69 ERA, 37.1 IP, 28 H, 8 BB, 20 K), Ty Culbreth (2-0, 2.03 ERA, 26.2 IP, 15 H, 17 BB, 19 SO), Dillon Peters (7-3, 2.13 ERA, 80.1 IP, 72 H, 21 BB, 53 K), Parker French (5-5, 2.61 ERA, 82.2 IP, 71 H, 31 BB, 56 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2011 (4-1 at Austin Regional, 2-1 at Austin Super Regional, 0-2 at College World Series)

Notes: Texas returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since having reached its seventh College World Series under Augie Garrido in 2011. Garrido became college baseball’s all-time winningest coach on March 25 when the Longhorns beat Texas State for career win No. 1,894, topping Gordon Gillespie’s mark. He is the only coach in Division I history to win more than 600 games at two different schools. The Longhorns will see some familiar foes in the Regional having played Texas A&M 368 and Rice 278 times in the past (they’ve never played George Mason, the fourth team in the Regional). Texas does it with pitching – it ranks 10^th in the nation in pitching. Junior lefty Dillon Peters is 17-7 with a 2.26 ERA in three years in the rotation. Nathan Thornhill had an ERA of 2.21 but went just 3-6 a year ago and improved on those numbers (opponents hit only .198). Mark Payton has reached base in an incredible 95 straight games, the longest streak in Big 12 history. His father played baseball at Illinois. Speaking of famous dads, Lukas Schiraldi’s father Calvin and Kacy Clemens’ father Roger played on the Longhorns’ 1983 national championship team and went on to have fantastic careers in Major League Baseball.

3. Texas A&M Aggies

College Station, Texas

At-large bid from SEC

2014 record: 14-16, 33-24

Head coach: Rob Childress (Northwood, 1990)

Record at school: 356-206-2 (10 years)

Overall record: 356-206-2 (10 years)

Assistant coaches: Andy Sawyers, Justin Seely

Team offense: .286 BA, 308 R, 24 HR, .383 SLG%, .363 OBP%, 61-80 SB

Team pitching: 3.58 ERA, 510.0 IP, 506 H, 169 BB, 435 K

Top hitters: Nick Banks (.348/2/25), Cole Lankford (.333/4/42), Troy Stein (.294/2/22), Krey Bratson (.269/0/11 18-19 SB)

Top pitchers: Grayson Long (6-2, 3.07 ERA, 85.0 IP, 90 H, 25 BB, 52 K), Daniel Mengden (4-8, 3.55 ERA, 101.1 IP, 96 H, 27 BB, 94 K), Parker Ray (4-3, 5.71 ERA, 64.2 IP, 69 H, 27 BB, 55 K), Andrew Vinson (3-2, 2.50 ERA, 2 SV, 36 IP, 23 H, 10 BB, 33 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2013 (2-2 at Corvallis Regional)

Notes: The Aggies have made it to the NCAA Tournament both seasons they have been in the Southeastern Conference and six years straight in total. Texas A&M last won a Regional in 2011, which is the same year it advanced all the way to the College World Series. The Aggies have five CWS appearances as a program but have yet to raise the trophy as national champions.

Texas A&M will renew its rivalry with Texas on the baseball field but this is the first time they’ve ever met in NCAA Championship play. The teams have faced off a total of 363 times. Rice, hosts of the Houston Regional, and TAMU are no strangers either, meeting 276 times with the Aggies winning 179 of them. Freshman Nick Banks is playing his best baseball at the right time as he was recently named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance against LSU.

4. George Mason Patriots

Fairfax, Virginia

Automatic bid – won Atlantic 10 Tournament

2014 Record: 16-9, 34-20 (third in Atlantic 10)

Head Coach: Bill Brown (George Mason, 1980)

Record at School: 929-821-6, 33 years

Overall Record: 929-821-6, 33 years

Assistant Coaches: Stephen Hay, Tag Montague, Justin Walker 

Team offense: .271 BA, 265 R, 15 HR, 39-56 SB

Team pitching: 3.14 ERA, 487.2 IP, 484 H, 138 BB, 337 K

Top hitters: Brandon Gum (.314/0/27), Luke Willis (.309/2/34), Blaise Fernandez (.297/4/40), Chris Cook (.293/4/26), Josh Leemhuis (.289/0/15), Tucker Tobin (/282/2/23)

Top pitchers: Jared Gaynor (8-4, 1.67 ERA, 107.2 IP, 92 H, 26 BB, 72 K), Tyler Zombro (6-2, 1.96 ERA, 5 SV, 46 IP, 44 H, 9 BB, 26 K), Anthony Montefusco (9-3, 1.96 ERA, 101 IP, 101 H, 14 BB, 81 K), Jake Kalish (2-1, 2.43 ERA, 2 SV, 33.1 IP, 28 H, 4 BB, 36 K), John Williams (5-2, 2.82 ERA, 60.2 IP, 59 H, 19 BB, 30 K)

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

Notes: Playing its first season in the A-10, third-seeded George Mason ousted fourth-seeded VCU 3-2 in 10 innings in the tournament final. Anthony Montefusco, the Patriots’ ace, hit a sac fly to left to score Blaise Fernandez. Montefusco, who as a freshman became the first player in Mason history to be named CAA Rookie of the Year, entered this season 12-9 in his career before going 9-3. Freshman Tyler Zombro, whose father played college baseball and mother played college volleyball, was named to the A-10’s all-rookie team. Blaise Fernandez’s parents were both swimmers in college. Jared Gaynor, who was 2-9 with a 6.18 ERA last year, and Montefusco were named second-team A-10 pitchers. Jake Kalish’s brother is Ryan Kalish of the Chicago Cubs. Coach Bill Brown has guided the Patriots to seven NCAA tournaments, the first six coming in the CAA. GMU baseball players who have reached the majors include Chris Widger, Mike Colangelo and Shawn Camp. Two other players who played for Brown are Dayton Moore and J.J. Picollo, the GM and director of player personnel for the Kansas City Royals, respectively.