College Baseball Super Regionals 2015: Saturday Results, Highlights and Bracket
After a brief warm-up act Friday, the 2015 College Baseball Super Regionals kicked into full gear Saturday, with all 16 teams in action around the country. Four teams had a chance to clinch their best-of-three series, while 12 others were fighting to take a series lead or stay alive for at least one more day.
There were running themes in the four games Friday, with pitching controlling things for Miami and Virginia, followed by Arkansas and Florida combining to score 31 runs in their victories.
Saturday will see every team use everything in its power to win, either because of desperation or understanding how important it is to close things out when the opportunity is there.
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Here's a look at how things shook out during Saturday's Super Regional action, as well as some of the key highlights from each game.
Super Regional Bracket (via DeSoto Times-Tribune)
Results/Schedule
| No. 1 Cal State Fullerton vs. No. 1 Louisville | Cal State Fullerton def. Louisville, 3-2 (10 innings) | Cal State Fullerton leads 1-0 |
| No. 1 Miami vs. No. 4 VCU | Miami def. VCU, 10-3 | Miami wins series 2-0 |
| No. 1 Missouri State vs. No. 2 Arkansas | Missouri State def. Arkansas, 3-1 | Series tied 1-1 |
| No. 3 Maryland vs. No. 3 Virginia | Virginia def. Maryland, 5-4 | Virginia wins series 2-0 |
| No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 TCU | TCU def. Texas A&M, 13-4 | TCU leads 1-0 |
| No. 1 Florida vs. No. 1 Florida State | Florida def. Florida State, 11-4 | Florida wins series 2-0 |
| No. 3 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. No. 1 LSU | LSU def. Louisiana-Lafayette, 4-3 | LSU leads series 1-0 |
| No. 1 Vanderbilt vs. No.1 Illinois | Vanderbilt def. Illinois, 13-0 | Vanderbilt leads series 1-0 |
Recap
Vanderbilt def. Illinois, 13-0
Despite traveling all the way to Champaign, Illinois for the super regional, defending national champion Vanderbilt had no problems dispatching the Illini with a resounding 13-0 victory.
The game started perfectly for the Commodores, who scored three runs off Illinois starter Kevin Duchene in the first inning, and they never looked back.
The bottom of the lineup was outstanding for Vandy, as the five through nine hitters combined to go 7-for-20 with seven RBI and nine runs scored.
Jeren Kendall led the attack with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. Dansby Swanson went 2-for-6 with one run scored and made this stellar defensive play, via NCAA Baseball:
Starter Carson Fulmer gave Vanderbilt a quality outing, throwing 6.1 shutout innings despite allowing four hits and five walks.
Grantland's Michael Baumann did raise an interesting question about how Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin was using Fulmer in this game:
Fulmer will likely be a high first-round draft pick on June 8, so there should be added incentive to protect his arm. He didn't get hurt, nor show any signs of slowing down, but it was just unusual to see the starter out there for so many pitches in a blowout.
Illinois didn't have anything working, as Duchene was overmatched from the start and the lineup could muster just five singles in defeat. The Illini have a chance to prove they deserve to be mentioned among the elite programs across the country, but this was a bad way to start things.
Fortunately, Illinois can file this loss away and start anew on Sunday. It will have to play with a greater sense of urgency since another loss will end the season. Vanderbilt has been in this position many times before, including during last year's title run, so expect the Commodores to keep their foot on the gas to close things out.
LSU def. Louisiana-Lafayette, 4-3
There were fireworks in Louisiana thanks to two ninth-inning home runs, the most important one coming off the bat of LSU's Chris Sciambra to give the Tigers a 4-3 walk-off win in Game 1 against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Sciambra's laser shot sent the crowd in Baton Rouge into a frenzy, as this video from NCAA Baseball shows:
That homer couldn't have come at a better time for LSU, because the Ragin' Cajuns tied the game in the top of the ninth on a Brenn Conrad blast off Alex Lange.
Per Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com, Conrad was one of the unlikeliest candidates to hit a home run for Louisiana-Lafayette prior to that at-bat:
Louisiana-Lafayette will be examining the missed opportunities in this game for a long time, especially if it loses this series, because it outhit LSU 10-5 only to squeeze three runs out of it.
Lange was masterful on the mound for the Tigers before Conrad's blast. The right-hander had 11 strikeouts in eight innings before giving way to Parker Bugg.
The in-state rivalry has brought out the intensity for both teams, as LSU pitcher Jared Poche told Randy Rosetta of The Times-Picayune prior to the series.
"Everyone is going to have a little more adrenaline flowing than usual," Poche said. "We've played in big games like this in the SEC and hopefully that helps us out."
That adrenaline was obvious throughout the game and came pouring out once Sciambra's ball went over the fence.
LSU has been the best team in college baseball all season, posting a 52-10 record after this win, and is one victory away from fulfilling its destiny with a trip to Omaha. Louisiana-Lafayette will bring everything it has on Sunday, but this was a huge missed chance for the team on the road against an outstanding opponent.
Florida def. Florida State, 11-4
The Florida Gators went a little easier on Florida State during the second game of their super-regional series, "only" scoring 11 runs to secure a spot in the College World Series. They had a total of 24 runs in the two games against their in-state rivals.
Before the celebration could officially begin in Gainesville, NCAA Baseball tweeted out the Gators recording the game's final out:
Florida freshman JJ Schwarz had a huge day by going 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, three runs scored, one walk and breaking the school's freshman home run record (18). Kevin Brockway of GatorSports.com noted this was nothing new for the young star in the NCAA tournament:
Following Schwarz's huge day, per Scott Carter of GatorZone.com, Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan said this was one of those special games you don't forget:
Florida State had an outstanding season, going 44-21 overall, but it was outclassed in every way against Florida. The Seminoles committed six errors in the two games and got a combined 3.2 innings out of starting pitchers Alec Byrd and Mike Compton.
The Gators are seeking their first national championship and may have found a team to do it. They just decimated another No. 1 seed, albeit at their home stadium, and won the SEC conference tournament this year.
O'Sullivan had his team prepared for short series once the conference tournament started and it's shown in the Gators' results thus far.
Virginia def. Maryland, 5-4
Maryland's run in the NCAA tournament ended in heartbreaking fashion, as Virginia scored three runs in the ninth inning to get a 5-4 walk-off win.
Ernie Clement delivered the final blow for the Cavaliers, hitting a two-run single with the bases loaded to score Thomas Woodruff and Joe McCarthy. Here's how the final hit looked, via NCAA Baseball:
Things looked bleak for Virginia, which hadn't scored since the first inning, and Maryland reliever Robert Galligan had done a masterful job after taking over for starter Ryan Selmer with two outs in that opening inning.
The Terrapins had to play with a sense of desperation, which is why Galligan came in so early, and it looked like things were going to work. They took a 4-2 lead into the final inning, but head coach John Szefc left Galligan in one inning too long.
The left-hander started the ninth inning, loading the bases after a two walks with a single sandwiched in between, as Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun noted Maryland had its closer ready to go:
Mooney did come in after the bases were loaded, walked Kevin Doherty to allow a run to score and set the stage for Clement's heroics.
The Cavaliers have been one of the nation's best teams for the last decade, but have been unable to win a national title. They came close last year before losing to Vanderbilt in the final series. Based on how things played out in this series, perhaps things will be different.
TCU def. Texas A&M, 13-4
While both teams reached double figures in hits, TCU turned more of its opportunities into runs with a 13-4 win over Texas A&M in the first game of their super regional series.
The Horned Frogs wasted no time in exerting their will over their in-state rivals, scoring in each of the first three innings to take a 5-1 lead, and blew things wide open with a five-run sixth inning.
One thing that made TCU so successful in this game was the balance throughout the lineup. Every starter had at least one hit, eight of the nine scored at least one run and seven of the nine drove in at least one run.
Derek Odell led the charge for TCU, going 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, but Carlos A. Mendez of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted that's nothing new for the third baseman this time of year:
The Horned Frogs also got great work from Trey Teakell and Brian Trieglaff out of the bullpen. The duo gave up two hits in five innings after starter Tyler Alexander allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits in four innings.
TCU head coach Jim Schlossnagle said coming into the game that his team was looking forward to the challenge presented by its former Big 12 rival, via The Associated Press (via Fox Sports):
"It's definitely not the same, because nothing is as special as the first time. This one is going to be unique because instead of us like in `09 and '10, where we had to go to Texas, it's going to be unique to have one of those big state universities on our campus for a super regional.
"
Texas A&M was fighting uphill from the bottom of the first when starting pitcher Grayson Long gave up two runs and the Aggies were unable to get over the hump. They are on the edge of elimination now playing at TCU's stadium on Sunday.
Missouri State def. Arkansas, 3-1
Baseball is a funny game, as Missouri State and Arkansas proved on Saturday. Less than 24 hours after the Razorbacks scored 18 runs on 18 hits, Bears starting pitcher Matt Hall held them to one run on one hit in a complete game 3-1 victory.
Hall did give Arkansas chances to make things interesting by walking two in the bottom of the seventh with one out. Shortstop Joey Hawkins helped the Razorbacks out with an error that allowed Joe Serrano to score their only run of the game.
Despite some erratic moments from Hall, Baseball America's John Manuel did note this was a positive statement for the southpaw for his draft prospects:
Here's what the final out of Hall's gem looked like, via NCAA Baseball:
Bobby Wernes had the only hit for Arkansas, a single with one out in the first inning. The Razorbacks had been red-hot offensively coming into the game, scoring 37 runs in four games, but they were baffled by Hall from the opening pitch.
Of course, a starting pitcher needs help from his offense to get a victory. There weren't a lot of runs scored for Missouri State, but Blake Graham delivered when his team needed it. He got the scoring started with an RBI single in the second inning and drove in another run on a fielder's choice in the third inning.
If there is a silver lining for Arkansas, it's that head coach Dave Van Horn knows how to keep things in perspective. He didn't have much enthusiasm after his team won 18-4 on Friday, via The Associated Press (h/t St. Louis Post-Dispatch):
“I feel good that we won the first game, but we haven’t won anything yet,” Van Horn said. “We won one game; big deal.”
Van Horn will have his team ready to play on Sunday, as the Razorbacks and Bears now face a win-or-go-home scenario on Sunday.
This series has been unusual thus far, to say the least, with one blowout and one dominant pitching performance. That leaves open the possibility for anything to happen on Sunday, though both coaches have to be on their toes waiting to make the right move or strategic decision to ensure their team advances to Omaha.
Cal State Fullerton def. Louisville, 3-2
Saturday's first game was a thrilling extra-inning affair that Cal State Fullerton held on to win 3-2 over Louisville, despite a blown save from Tyler Peitzmeier.
The Titans got the victory thanks to Timmy Richards being hit by a Zack Burdi pitch with the bases loaded. Here's how it looked, according to NCAA Baseball:
Richards was the first batter Burdi faced after relieving Lincoln Henzman, prompting Burke Granger of B1GBaseball.com to wonder why the right-hander didn't just start the inning instead of coming in during a dicey situation:
Before Cal State Fullerton got those extra-inning heroics, Dalton Blaser looked like he was going to be the star in victory. The right fielder was 2-for-4 with two RBI singles in the sixth and eighth to put the Titans ahead with six outs to play.
Titans starter Thomas Eshelman lived up to his scouting report with seven innings of one-run ball, racking up five strikeouts. Here's what an anonymous opposing coach told Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com about the right-hander coming into the game:
"The one thing about facing Eshelman is that you know you’re going to get strikes. He’s upper-80s, low-90s, and he’ll throw a cutter, curveball and changeup at you. He’ll locate a ton of fastballs and you’ve got to be ready to swing early with a short-armed stroke. His ball gets on you pretty quick.
"
That perfectly sums up what Eshelman did Saturday. He wasn't dominating, because Louisville did have eight hits, but when he needed to make a pitch it was there.
The Cardinals got life in the bottom of the ninth inning with a solo home run by Mike White to tie the game. They would later get runners on first and second with a Logan Taylor walk and Sutton Whiting single, but Ryan Summers would pop out to end the threat.
White would again have a chance to play hero for Louisville in the bottom of the 10th with runners on first and third, but Peitzmeier struck him out to seal the win for Cal State Fullerton and put it one victory away from its first College World Series appearance since 2009.
Miami def. VCU, 10-3
Cinderella's run didn't last long in the Super Regionals, as VCU was unable to match Miami's powerful offense Saturday in a 10-3 defeat. The loss eliminates the Rams from the NCAA tournament, while the Hurricanes become the first team to secure a spot in the College World Series.
Early on, it appeared as though VCU was going to hang with Miami, as the two were tied 3-3 after two innings. The score wouldn't stay that way for long, though, as the Hurricanes got one in the fourth before blowing things open with a five-run seventh.
David Thompson opened the floodgates in that seventh inning with this RBI single that scored George Iskenderian from second base, per NCAA Baseball:
The win was truly a team effort for the Hurricanes, as seven different players had at least one RBI in the victory. They also got excellent work from their bullpen, as Sam Abrams, Michael Mediavilla and Bryan Garcia combined to throw seven shutout innings after starter Thomas Woodrey was knocked out after two-plus innings.
Abrams came into the game in what proved to be a turning point. Woodrey loaded the bases with no outs following a walk, double and hit-by-pitch. Miami head coach Jim Morris called on his senior right-hander, who proceeded to get out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts and a flyout from James Bunn.
Following Abrams' tightrope act, Associated Press writer Tim Reynolds joked the pitcher would later win another sporting event taking place Saturday:
Morris said on The Big O Show (h/t CBS Miami) prior to the series that he knew how important it was to take advantage of chances because VCU was a better team than people realized:
"They’ve got my respect immediately because I looked at that regional and that might be the toughest of any of them. You probably didn’t think VCU [would win it]. But the real deal is they’ve gotten hot, they’ve got a good club, they’ve got a young coach that has really got those guys going — a very feisty team that plays hard.
"
The Rams were the only No. 4 seed to make it out of the regionals, but they were put in a difficult position going to Coral Gables and taking on the No. 5 overall seed in the country. The Hurricanes' win puts them in the College World Series for the first time since 2008. They are seeking their first national title since 2001.
Morris has an outstanding team that's won games in the tournament with its powerful offense, though the pitching staff has stepped up when the team needed it. In a season without a perfect team, the Hurricanes are equipped in all facets of the game to win a championship.
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