2015 Dallas Regional

(capsules compiled by Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton, Will Merritt, Jackson Proffitt, John Whittle)

1. Dallas Baptist Patriots

Dallas, Texas

At-large bid from Missouri Valley Conference

2015 record: 15-6, 43-13 (second in MVC)

Head coach: Dan Heefner (Olivet Nazarene)

Record at school: 299-166, eight years

Overall record: 299-166, eight years

Assistant Coaches: Dan Fitzgerald, Wes Johnson, Craig Parry

Team offense: .290 BA, 382 R, 50 HR, .445 SLG%, .380 OBP, 55-72 SB

Team pitching: 3.40 ERA, 503 IP, 460 H, 200 BB, 458 K, .246 BAA

Top hitters: Drew Turbin (.349/3/34), Tagg Duce (.338/6/38), Nash Knight (.310/2/35), Justin Wall (.293/10/50), Trooper Reynolds (.275/7/31), Camden Duzenack (.274/4/38), David Martinelli (.272/9/35)

Top pitchers: Brandon Koch (2-2, 14 SV, 1.41 ERA, 38.1 IP, 21 H, 24 BB, 69 K), Trevor Conn (2-1, 1.84 ERA, 29.1 IP, 28 H, 9 BB, 17 K), Chance Adams (7-1, 2.08 ERA, 52 IP, 35 H, 12 BB, 71 K), Joseph Shaw (10-3, 2.84 ERA, 82.1 IP, 74 H, 23 BB, 66 K), Dalton Higgins (0-1, 3.26 ERA, 30.1 IP, 26 H, 8 BB, 20 K), Cory Taylor (6-1, 3.93 ERA, 71 IP, 82 H, 28 BB, 62 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2014 (0-2 at Fort Worth Regional)

Notes: Dallas Baptist has made Regional play a habit by reaching the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years – this is the first time DBU will host a Regional. That includes a trip to the Super Regionals in 2011. The Patriots spent the better part of year ranked No. 1 in the RPI – they finished No. 2 to Miami. DBU was 22-4 at Horner Ballpark, which opened in 2013. Closer Brandon Koch is one of the best in the nation, going 10-3 with 23 saves over the past two years – he doesn’t have enough innings to qualify, but his 16.2 Ks per nine innings would be among the best, if not the best, in the nation. Ace Joseph Shaw spent the bulk of his first two years as a reliever before winning 10 games this season. Justin Wall hit two homers each of his first two seasons before hitting 10 this year. Coach Dan Heefner played at Northern Iowa for two years before transferring to NAIA Olivet Nazarene University, where he led the nation in homers (22) and RBI (102) in 2000. His teams have averaged 37 wins a season.

2. Oregon State Beavers

Corvallis, Oregon

At-large bid from Pac-12

2015 record: 19-10-1, 38-16-1 (second in Pac-12)

Head Coach: Pat Casey (George Fox, 1990)

Record at school: 753-419-5, 21 years

Overall record: 924-531-6, 27 years

Assistant Coaches: Pat Bailey, Andy Jenkins, Nate Yeskie

Team offense: .281 BA, 319 R, 40 HR, .411 SLG%, .366 OBP, 41-59 SB

Team pitching: 2.88 ERA, 502.1 IP, 397 H, 173 BB, 373 K, .219 BAA

Top hitters: Jeff Hendrix (.341/6/34), Trever Morrison (.318/1/18), KJ Harrison (.314/10/58), Kyle Nobach (.307/2/25), Christian Donahue (.294/0/14), Joe Gillette (.294/2/11), Logan Ice (.282/3/22)

Top pitchers: Andrew Moore (7-2, 1.73 ERA, 114.2 IP, 77 H, 19 BB, 103 K), Mitch Hickey (4-1, 10 SV, 2.05 ERA, 26.1 IP, 18 H, 16 BB, 21 K), Drew Rasmussen (7-3, 2.48 ERA, 101.2 IP, 79 H, 30 BB, 79 K), Sam Tweedt (8-1, 2.85 ERA, 47.1 IP, 35 H, 18 BB, 32 K), Luke Heimlich (2-5, 3.57 ERA, 45.1 IP, 37 H, 15 BB, 31 K), Travis Eckert (6-1, 3.87 ERA, 88.1 IP, 83 H, 28 BB, 49 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2014 (3-2 at Corvallis Regional)

Notes: Oregon State is in the field for the seventh straight year and 10^th time in 11 years. Coach Pat Casey guided the Beavers to national championships in 2006 and 2007. The Beavers rank 11th in the country in ERA and sixth in WHIP (1.13). Like last year, OSU has two shutdown pitchers at the top of the rotation in Andrew Moore and Drew Rasmussen. Moore is a three-year starter who went 14-2 as a freshman and is now 30-9 in his career. Rasmussen, a freshman, tossed a perfect game against Washington State. The Beavers lost a ton on offense from last year’s team that hosted a Regional, but freshman KJ Harrison, who played for his father, a former minor leaguer, in high school has provided pop with 10 homers. Jeff Hendrix was a first-team Pac-12 performer in 2014 and was an all-state football player as a kicker and wide receiver his senior year in high school and a second-team all-state basketball player. Among OSU’s players who have made an impact in the majors are Ken Forsch, Steve Lyons, Mark McLemore, Jacoby Ellsbury and Darwin Barney.

3. Texas Longhorns

Austin, Texas

Automatic bid – won Big 12 Tournament

2015 record: 11-13, 30-25 (fifth in Big 12)

Head coach:Augie Garrido (Fresno State, 1961)

Record at school:799-393-2, 19 years

Overall record:1,950-917-9, 46 years

Assistant coaches:Skip Johnson, Tommy Nicholson, Ryan Russ

Team offense: .261 BA, 260 R, 30 HR, .391 SLG%, .352 OBP, 41-62 SB

Team pitching: 3.15 ERA, 505.1 IP, 453 H, 179 BB, 356 K, .244 BAA

Top hitters: Ben Johnson (.339/5/31/16-20 SB), Joe Baker (.297/1/13), Tres Barrera (.288/9/32), Zane Gurwitz (.265/4/24), Michael Cantu (.253/1/20), Brooks Marlow (.250/5/22), Bret Boswell (.249/2/20)

Top pitchers: Kirby Bellow (3-1, 5 SV, 1.04 ERA, 34.2 IP, 22 H, 13 BB, 32 K), Kyle Johnston (1-1, 2.13 ERA, 38 IP, 21 H, 26 BB, 37 K), Connor Mayes (2-4, 2.29 ERA, 63 IP, 49 H, 20 BB, 53 K), Parker French (5-3, 2.33 ERA, 85 IP, 86 H, 21 BB, 54 K), Travis Duke (1-1, 3.38 ERA, 29.1 IP, 4 BB, 16 K), Ty Culbreth (4-4, 4 SV, 3.48 ERA, 51.2 IP, 53 H, 14 BB, 40 K), Kacy Clemens (3-2, 4.17 ERA, 45.1 IP, 39 H, 18 BB, 21 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2014 (3-1 at Houston Regional; 2-0 at Austin Super Regional; 3-2 at College World Series)

Notes: Texas rebounded from a subpar season to roll through the Big 12 Tournament and capture its 57^th Regional appearance – the most by any D-I school. Under legend Augie Garrido, college baseball’s all-time winningest coach, the Longhorns are making their 15^th Regional appearance and have been to nine Super Regionals and eight College World Series, including in 2014. Texas ranks 29th in the nation in ERA, which is up about three-quarters of a run from last year’s team. Many of the arms from that squad have moved on, but Parker French is a solid ace who has gone 22-15 in his four-year career. Ben Johnson is the lone regular who hits over .300 and is a fun player to watch who can do everything. Tres Barrera has most pop in the lineup, and the catcher hasn’t made an error all season. Garrido needs one win for No. 800 at Texas, and he’s the only coach in Division I history to win more than 600 games at two different schools. Kacy Clemens’ father Roger played on the Longhorns’ 1983 national championship team and went on to have a fantastic Major League career. Texas has never played Dallas Baptist at DBU in 53 meetings (46-7).

4. VCU Rams

Richmond, Virginia

Automatic bid – won Atlantic-10 Tournament

2015 record: 14-10, 37-22 (fifth in A-10)

Head coach: Shawn Stiffler (George Mason, 2001)

Record at school: 102-68, three years

Overall record: 102-68, three years

Assistant coaches: Steve Hay, Kurt Elbin, ML Morgan

Team offense: .286 BA, 330 R, 27 HR, .378 SLG%, .375 OBP, 50-81 SB

Team pitching: 2.97 ERA, 505.2 IP, 480 H, 150 BB, 431 K, .251 BAA

Top hitters: Vimael Machin (.330/3/48), Logan Farrar (.326/3/30), Matt Davis (.321/7/43), Daane Berezo (.287/0/13), Jimmy Kerrigan (.286/3/19), Walker Haymaker (.283/2/24), Darian Carpenter (.275/8/29)

Top pitchers: Daniel Concepcion (3-3, 13 SV, 2.91 ERA, 58.2 IP, 63 H, 15 BB, 53 K), JoJo Howie (7-6, 2.95 ERA, 97.2 IP, 108 H, 18 BB, 76 K), Heath Dwyer (9-2, 2.95 ERA, 85.1 IP, 87 H, 23 BB, 82 K), Matt Lees (5-2, 0.91 ERA, 49.2 IP, 35 H, 10 BB, 49 K), Tyler Buckley (4-0, 1.29 ERA, 35 IP, 29 H, 9 BB, 21 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2010 (0-2 at Charlottesville Regional)

Notes: VCU is back in the field for the 10th time but first time since 2010 and first time under Shawn Stiffler, who took over the program when former coach Paul Keyes passed away after a battle with cancer. The Rams were in danger of missing the A-10 tourney but went on a run and have won 11 straight entering NCAA play. VCU has a stable of pitchers who combined to rank 14th in the nation in ERA and in the Top 20 in strikeout to walk ratio. Lefty reliever Matt Lees would rank in the top five in the country in ERA if he had enough innings. Lefty Heath Dwyer has won 26 games in his career. Senior shortstop Vimael Machin is a special player who has been a four-year starter for the Rams. VCU leads the nation in hit by pitch (104). Stiffler was a pitcher at George Mason, and pitching coach Steve Hay previously was the pitching coach at George Mason. Former VCU players who have played in the Major Leagues include Los Angeles Angels General Manager Jerry DiPoto, Brandon Inge, Sean Marshall, Cla Meredith and Cody Eppley.