1 Oregon State Beavers
Corvallis, Oregon
Automatic Bid from Pac-12
2017 record: 27-3, 49-4 (first in Pac-12)
Head coach: Pat Casey (George Fox, 1990)
Record at school: 838-444-5 (23 years)
Overall record: 1,009-559-6 (30 years)
Assistant coaches: Pat Bailey, Nate Yeskie, Andy Jenkins
Team offense: .290 BA, 304 R, 22 HR, .400 SLG%, .382 OBP%, 57-70 SB
Team pitching: 1.84 ERA, 475 IP, 334 H, 133 BB, 425 K
Top hitters: Nick Madrigal (.377/4/31/15-17 SB), KJ Harrison (.317/5/29), Jack Anderson (.312/0/27), Steven Kwan (.306/1/13), Trevor Larnach (.294/3/35)
Top pitchers: Max Engelbrekt (3-0, 0.49, 5 SV, 18.1 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 17 K), Drew Rasmussen (3-0, 0.51, 17.2 IP, 11 H, 4 BB, 17 K), Luke Heimlich (10-1, 0.81, 111.1 IP, 68 H, 21 BB, 120 K), Jake Thompson (12-0, 1.31, 103 IP, 65 H, 31 BB, 96 K), Jake Mulholland (6-1, 1.45, 5 SV, 43.1 IP, 28 H, 9 BB, 36 K)
Last NCAA appearance: 2015 (1-2 at Dallas Regional)
Notes: The Beavers posted more than 40 wins for the eighth time in the past 13 seasons and enter the tournament as the No. 1 national seed. OSU missed the field in 2016. Pitching is at a premium with the Beavers, as Luke Heimlich ranks first and Jake Thompson third in the NCAA in ERA. As a team, OSU is first at 1.84, well ahead of UIC (2.57), Louisville (2.82) and North Carolina (2.89). Already loaded, the Beavers saw the return of ace Drew Rasmussen in late April – he had been out a year with an elbow injury. Sophomore shortstop Nick Madrigal’s twin brother Ty pitches at St. Mary’s. The Beavers’ shortstop tore his labrum late last season and has returned as one of the best shortstops in the nation.
2 Nebraska Cornhuskers
Lincoln, Nebraska
At-large bid from the Big Ten
2017 record: 16-7-1, 35-20-1 (first in Big Ten)
Head coach: Darin Erstad (Nebraska)
Record at school: 211-139-1 (6 years)
Overall record: Same
Assistant coaches: Ted Silva, Mike Kirby, Jeff Tezak
Team offense: .282 BA, 331 R, 24 HR, .383 SLG%, .364 OBP%, 41-47 SB
Team pitching: 4.48 ERA, 512 IP, 559 H, 152 BB, 385 K
Top hitters: Scott Schreiber (.335/6/43), Angelo Altavilla (.325/1/39), Ben Miller (.305/3/39), Jake Meyers (.302/1/16/19-20 SB), Jake Schleppenbach (.290/5/34), Luis Alvarado (.279/2/24)
Top pitchers: Luis Alvarado (0-0, 10 SV, 1.72, 15.2 IP, 14 H, 7 BB, 11 K), Jake McSteen (4-0, 2.15, 37.2 IP, 38 H, 10 BB, 25 K), Jake Meyers (8-1, 3.01, 78.2 IP, 77 H, 9 BB, 52 K), Derek Burkamper (6-5, 3.09, 67 IP, 73 H, 29 BB, 49 K), Jake Hohensee (7-3, 4.39, 80 IP, 74 H, 28 BB, 57 K)
Last NCAA appearance: 2015 (1-2 at Nashville Regional)
Notes: The Huskers return to the NCAA tourney for the third time in coach Darin Erstad’s six seasons. Erstad, a Huskers legend, was part of Nebraska’s 1994 national champion football team and won a World Series in 2002 with the Anaheim Angels. Nebraska gets a bump from two-way stars Jake Meyers and Luis Alvarado – Meyers is one of five finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award. Meyers also has walked only nine batters in nearly 80 innings.
3 Yale Bulldogs
New Haven, Connecticut
Automatic bid – Ivy League Champions
2017 record: 16-4, 32-16 (first in Red Rolfe Division)
Head coach: John Stuper (LaRoche, 1980)
Record at school: 490-558-4 (25 years)
Overall record: same
Assistant coaches: Tucker Frawley, Craig Driver, Ray Guarino
Team offense: .291 BA, 341 R, 40 HR, .366 SLG%, .433 OBP%, 39-55 SB
Team pitching: 5.51 ERA, 395.1 IP, 443 H, 187 BB, 300 K
Top hitters: Benny Wanger (.352/8/48), Richard Slenker (.345/4/39), Tim DeGraw (.335/1/39/16-20 SB), Simon Whiteman (.316/3/23/11-13 SB), Alex Stiegler (.303/4/12), Harrison White (.301/2/21)
Top pitchers: Griffin Dey (6-0, 2.79, 2 SV, 29 IP, 21 H, 17 BB, 14 K), Scott Politz (10-1, 3.47, 6 CG, 83 IP, 80 H, 17 BB, 69 K), Eric Brodkowitz (6-2, 4.73, 66.2 IP, 72 H, 33 BB, 55 K)
Last NCAA appearance: 1993 (0-2 at Central I Regional, College Station, Texas)
Notes: The Bulldogs defeated Penn twice to capture the Ivy League title. Yale traveled to Holy Cross this past Saturday and swept a doubleheader from the Crusaders. Pitcher Scott Politz and DH Benny Wanger were All-Ivy First Teamers. John Stuper was named Ivy League Coach of the Year. Stuper pitched in the Major Leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds from 1982-85. Yale and Holy Cross flew on the same jet from Hartford and stopped to pick up Nebraska in Lincoln on the way to Corvallis. Yale will be facing the Cornhuskers for the first time.
4 Holy Cross Crusaders
Worcester, Massachusetts
Automatic bid – Patriot League Champions
2017 record: 12-8 PL, 23-27
Head coach: Greg Dicenzo (St .Lawrence 1998)
Record at school: 244-262-1 (10 years)
Overall record: 244-262-1 (10 years)
Assistant coaches: Ed Kahouec, Jason Falcon, Jeff Miller
Team offense: .257 BA, 265 R, 36 HR, .377 SLG%, .341 OBP%, 19-29 SB
Team pitching: 5.18 ERA, 412 IP, 455 H, 166 BB, 361 K
Top hitters: Anthony Critelli (.302/9/34), Austin Masel (.299/4/25), Bill Schlich (.296/4/20), Josh Hassell (.289/1/28)
Top pitchers: Brennan King (5-6, 4.06 ERA, 75.1 IP, 66 H, 26 BB, 58 K), Joe Cravero (3-4, 4.68 ERA, 67.1 IP, 71 H, 21 BB, 66 K), Phil Reese (2-5, 5.68, 50.2 IP, 59 H, 10 BB, 34 K), George Capen (6-1, 4.01 ERA, 3 Sv, 42.2 IP, 47 H, 11 BB, 47 K)
Last NCAA appearance: 1978 (1-2 at Northeast Regional, Holyoke, Mass.)
Notes: The Crusaders claimed their first-ever Patriot League title by defeating Bucknell in the championship series. They won the first game of the best of 3 series 4-3 before winning game 2 11-7 in 11 innings after giving up a game-tying 3-run homer run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Dropped two games to Ivy League champion Yale after Patriot League tournament. Started season 2-10 that included a road trip with games at Auburn, Cal-Riverside, Cal State Northridge and Southern California. Outfielder Masel was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year and second-team all-league. Anthony Critelli was named first-team all-Patriot League. Capen and 3B Thomas Russo (.279/0/22) were named second-team all-PL.