1 North Carolina Tar Heels
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
At-large from ACC
2017 record: 23-7 (ACC), 47-12
Head coach: Mike Fox (UNC-Chapel Hill, 1978)
Record at school: 842-357-1 (19 years)
Overall record: 1381-498-5 (34 years)
Assistant coaches: Robert Woodard, Scott Forbes, Jesse Wierzbicki
Team offense: .284 BA, 411 R, 53 HR, .437 SLG%, .386 OBP%, 75-100 SB
Team pitching: 2.87 ERA, 517.2 IP, 415 H, 210 BB, 492 K
Top hitters: Logan Warmoth (.347/9/42 18 SB), Ashton McGee (.343/6/41), Brian Miller (.341/7/46 21 SB), Tyler Lynn (.310/6/36), Brandon Riley (.307/6/49)
Top pitchers: JB Bukauskas (9-0, 2.02 ERA, 89 IP, 56 H, 33 BB, 111 K), Luca Dalari (6-3, 3.35 ERA, 86 IP, 79 H, 17 BB, 74 K), Josh Hiatt (4-1, 1.00 ERA, 13 Sv, 45 IP, 22 H, 17 BB, 55 K), Tyler Baum (6-0, 2.60 ERA, 55.1 IP, 43 H, 21 BB, 41 K)
Last NCAA appearance: 2014
Notes: Thanks to one of the top recruiting classes in the country and a return to having one of the top pitching staffs in the nation, the Tar Heels return to the NCAA tournament after a two-year hiatus making the 16th trip during Mike Fox’s tenure. UNC’s offense was on a hot streak during the ACC tournament scoring 37 runs in 4 games. UNC’s hurlers combined for a 2.89 ERA which ranks 4th nationally. This group was lead by ACC Pitcher of the Year Bukauskas who ranks in the top-20 nationally in hits allowed per 9 innings (5.71, 16th), strikeouts per 9 innings (11.63, 20th) and ERA (1.87, 17th) and posted consecutive 100-plus strikeout seasons. Freshman Dalari led the ACC in innings pitcher per start going at least 5 innings in all but one start. Another freshman Hiatt was first-team all-ACC out of the bullpen appearing in 35 games and allowing only 1 run in 30.2 IP during ACC play but did falter in the ACC Title game giving up 6 runs in 2.1 IP – more than doubling the amount of runs given up all season and raising his ERA a full run to 2.09. UNC was balanced on offense as they ranked 5th in the ACC in runs scored and 4th in the league in on-base percentage but did not have a single player in double digits in home runs or more than 50 RBIs in the regular season. Shortstop Logan Warmoth was a first-team all-ACC selection after leading the team in hitting, slugging percentage, double, triples and home runs. He is batting .466 over his last 15 games. . Outfielder Brian Miller was also first team all league leading UNC with a .371 average in ACC games . Ashton McGee was named the ACC’s Freshman of the Year. The four Tar Heels names to the first-team all-ACC was the first time since 1985 they have had that many honorees. The Heels won all 10 of their ACC series for the first time in program history.
2 FGCU Eagles
Fort Myers, Florida
Automatic bid – won A-SUN Tournament
2017 record: 13-8, 42-18 (third in ASUN)
Head coach: Dave Tollett (Tusculum, 1988)
Record at school: 532-314-3 (15 years)
Overall record: same
Assistant coaches: Rusty McKee, Wes Sargent, Trent Higginbothem
Team offense: .282 BA, 373 R, 54 HR, .427 SLG%, .384 OBP%, 32-45 SB
Team pitching: 3.65 ERA, 533 IP, 541 H, 170 BB, 515 K
Top hitters: Julio Gonzalez (.337/5/39/15 2B), Nick Rivera (.304/17/55), Alex Brait (.299/2/12), Gage Morey (.296/2/23/11-15 SB), Marc Coffers (.287/5/22)
Top pitchers: Kutter Crawford (7-1, 1.58, 79.2 IP, 55 H, 27 BB, 91 K), Kenton Hering (7-3, 2.04, 6 SV, 57.1 IP, 49 H, 19 BB, 75 K), Josh Dye (8-4, 3.32, 86.2 IP, 88 H, 12 BB, 71 K), Garrett Anderson (7-1, 3.43, 3 SV, 76 IP, 81 H, 21 BB, 61 K), Sterling Koerner (2-3, 5.47, 12 SV, 51 IP, 69 H, 7 BB 34 K)
Last NCAA appearance: First Division I appearance
Notes: The Eagles captured their first ASUN title. FGCU set a program record for wins in a season with 42. Nick Rivera was the ASUN Player of the Year. He leads all active players with 247 career games, 71 doubles, 215 RBI, 487 total bases and 177 walks. FGCU owns a 3-2 advantage vs. Michigan.
3 Michigan Wolverines
Ann Arbor, Michigan
At-large bid from the Big Ten
2017 record: 16-8, 42-15 (third in Big Ten)
Head coach: Erik Bakich (East Carolina, 2000)
Record at school: 176-117 (5 years)
Overall record: 246-215 (8 years)
Assistant coaches: Sean Kenny, Nick Schnabel, Aaron Etchison
Team offense: .284 BA, 378 R, 34 HR, .404 SLG%, .380 OBP%, 122-151 SB
Team pitching: 3.26 ERA, 515.1 IP, 436 H, 184 BB, 551 K
Top hitters: Ako Thomas (.368/0/21/21-26 SB), Michael Brdar (.318/3/36/19-24 SB), Johnny Slater (.304/4/46), Miles Lewis (.295/1/32/19-23 SB), Drew Lugbauer (.290/11/58)
Top pitchers: Maz Lozer (1-0, 0.70, 25.2 IP, 11 H, 7 BB, 36 K), Jackson Lamb (3-1, 12 SV, 0.96, 28 IP, 20 H, 12 BB, 28 K), William Tribucher (4-2, 2.19, 37 IP, 29 H, 19 BB, 43 K), Oliver Jaskie (8-2, 3.30, 87.1 IP, 73 H, 29 BB, 113 K), Michael Hendrickson (6-2, 3.84, 70.1 IP, 64 H, 26 BB, 67 K), Ryan Nutof (6-2, 4.27, 71.2 IP, 75 H, 24 BB, 71 K), Alec Rennard (6-2, 4.29, 63 IP, 60 H, 13 BB, 64 K)
Last NCAA appearance: 2015 (1-2 at Louisville Regional)
Notes: Michigan is in the field for the second time in three years after being ranked for much of the season. The Wolverines lost two straight games in the Big Ten tourney and were cited by the NCAA as one of the last four teams to make this year’s field. Michigan is a dangerous squad that mixes pitching and defense with tremendous team speed: it ranks 11th in the nation in ERA, third in defense and fourth in stolen bases. It also has lots of arms who combined to rank sixth in the nation in WHIP (1.20). Oliver Jaskie struck out 113 batters in 87.1 innings, and opponents hit .223 off of him. Closer Jackson Lamb limits opponents to a .198 average. Jake Bivens hit .278 but had an on-base percentage of .439 thanks to 35 walks and 22 HBP. Sophomore sparkplug Ako Thomas hit 110 points higher than last year and enjoyed a 38-game reached base streak.
4 Davidson Wildcats
Davidson, NC
Automatic bid – Atlanic-10 Champions
2017 record: 13-11 (A-10), 32-24
Head coach: Dick Cooke (Richmond, 1978)
Record at school: 554-811-1 (27 years)
Overall record: 565-843-1 (28 years)
Assistant coaches: Rucker Taylor, Ryan Munger, Aaron Lynch
Team offense: .277 BA, 349 runs, 70 HR, .438 SLG %, .368 OBP%, 17-25 SB
Team pitching: 4.54 ERA, 500.1 IP, 563 H, 207 BB, 374 K
Top hitters: Will Robertson (.335/18/43), Brian Fortier (.318/15/53), Alec Acosta (.317/5/30), Eric Jones (.316/9/34), Justin Lebek (.303/7/41)
Top pitchers: Durin O’Linger (8-3, 2.85 ERA, 101 IP, 106 H, 27 BB, 86 K), Evan Roberts (3-1, 4.46 ERA, 68.2 IP, 73 H, 16 BB, 44 K), Josh Smutzer (5-3, 4.68 ERA, 75 IP, 88 H, 31 BB, 35 K), Westin Whitmore (3-3, 4.72 ERA, 12 Sv, 26.2 IP, 32 H, 11 BB, 15 K)
Last NCAA appearance: First appearance
Notes: Davidson is making their first NCAA appearance winning the Atlantic-10 title by coming through the loser’s bracket and beating VCU twice 8-4 and 11-4 after the Rams took 2 of 3 from them earlier in the year outscoring them 29-9. The Wildcats had to beat UMass in extras on the last day of the regular season and get some help to make the A-10 tournament as the 6 seed. In 2016 became first 6 seed to play in the A-10 championship game. Acosta and O’Linger were named co-Most Outstanding Player of the A-10 tournament after Acosta hit 5 home runs and 11 RBIs and O’Linger made 3 appearances picking up 2 wins allowing only 3 runs in 14.1 Innings. First in A-10 in home runs led by Robertson (1st) and Fortier (2nd) and second in league in runs scored. The pitching staff ranked 8th in the league in ERA. Went 0-6 vs ACC and SEC teams losing to UNC and South Carolina by 1 and Duke and Notre Dame by 2.