2007 Columbia (Mo.) Regional

(capsules compiled by Jamie Learakos, Stuart Smith, Scott Day, Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton)

1. Missouri Tigers

Columbia, Mo.

At-large bid from Big 12

2007 record – 19-8, 40-16 (second in Big 12)

Coach – Tim Jamieson (New Orleans, 1981)

Record at school – 439-306-2, 13 years

Overall record - Same

Assistant coaches – Evan Pratte, Tony Vitello, Brian DeLunas

Team offense: .282 BA, 377 R, 40 HR, NA SLG%, NA OBA%, 58/85 SB

Team pitching: 4.09 ERA, 501.1 IP, 517 H, 148 BB, 376 K

Top hitters: Evan Frey (.346/4/33/10 SB), Brock Bond (.319/1/42/12 SB), Kyle Mach (.306/2/23), Jacob Priday (.299/10/55), Ryan Lollis (.292/3/49/14 SB), Trevor Coleman (.277/8/39), Aaron Senne (.276/5/41).

Top pitchers: Ryan Gargano (0-0, 1.11, 24.1 IP, 12 H, 8 BB, 11K), Scooter Hicks (4-0, 5 SV, 1.48, 24.1 IP, 18 H, 4 BB, 16 K), Aaron Crow (8-3, 3.17, 108 IP, 97 H, 33 BB, 81 K), Kyle Gibson (7-3, 7 SV, 4.33, 62.1 IP, 58 H, 17 BB, 70 K), Rick Zagone (7-2, 4.92, 97 IP, 111 H, 27 BB, 75 K).

Last NCAA appearance: 2006 (4-1 at Malibu Regional, 0-2 at Fullerton Super Regional)

Notes: Missouri, fresh off a Super Regional in 2006, finished second in the Big 12 regular season and is in the NCAA tourney for the fifth straight year. Jacob Priday has continued to assault Big 12 pitching, totaling 30 homers in his three years. He leads the Tigers with 27 extra-base hits. Starter Aaron Crow is joined on the team by his brother Travis. Scooter Hicks transferred from Tulane to Texas A&M in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and transferred to Mizzou before this season. Brock Bond, a former Arkansas player, followed up a .338 season by hitting .319 this year.

2. Miami Hurricanes
Miami, Fla.

At-large bid from ACC

2007 record: 17-13, 36-22 (third in ACC-Coastal)

Coach: Jim Morris (Elon, 1973)

Record at school: 641-243-3, 14 years

Overall record: 1276-528-4, 30 years

Assistant coaches: J.D. Arteaga, Gino DiMare, Joe Mercadante

Team offense: .293 BA, 379 R, 53 HR, .442 SLG, .395 OBA, 79/109 SB

Team pitching: 4.14 ERA, 530.0 IP, 504 H, 214 BB, 419 K

Top hitters: Yonder Alonso (.377/18/74/13 SB), Mark Sobolewski (.344/6/50/14 SB), Blake Tekotte (.341/2/24/15 SB), Roger Tomas (.340/1/26/11 SB), Jemile Weeks (.309/5/24), Dennis Raben (.280/11/45), Ryan Jackson (.236/0/25), Gus Menendez (.264/2/22), Richard O’Brien (.224/5/34)

Top pitchers: Eric Erickson (10-3, 2.00, 85.2 IP, 75 H, 14 BB, 58 K), Scott Maine (5-5, 3.03, 92.0 IP, 90 H, 22 BB, 73 K), Enrique Garcia (7-4, 3.51, 84.2 IP, 79 H, 28 BB, 74 K), Danny Gil (3-0, 3.71, 51.0 IP, 38 H, 30 BB, 48 K, 5 SV), David Gutierrez (2-0, 3.83, 40.0 IP, 37 H, 22 BB, 25 K), Manny Miguelez (1-2, 5.60, 53.0 IP, 57 H, 18 BB, 32 K)

Last time in tournament: 2006 (3-0 Lincoln Regional, 2-1 Oxford Super Regional, 1-2 College World Series)

Notes: The No. 25 ranked Hurricanes went 1-2 in the ACC Tournament, losing their first game to Clemson before knocking off Florida State and then losing to Wake Forest. Eric Erickson and Yonder Alonso were both All-ACC selections this season. Erickson was the first freshman pitcher to earn first team honors and Alonso earned second team honors for the first time. Alonso led the league with 18 home runs and 72 RBIs. The Hurricanes won nine out of their last ten regular season games, including sweeps of Duke and Wright State.

3. Louisville Cardinals

Louisville, Ky.

At-large bid from Big East

2007 record – 19-8, 40-20 (second in Big East)

Coach – Dan McDonnell (The Citadel, 1992)

Record at school – 40-20, one year

Overall record - Same

Assistant coaches – Chris Lemonis, Roger Williams, Xan Barksdale

Team offense: .304 BA, 406 R, 57 HR, .460 SLG%, .375 OBA%, 141/181 SB

Team pitching: 2.89 ERA, 535.2 IP, 413 H, 200 BB, 441 K

Top hitters: Isaiah Howes (.387/15/55), Logan Johnson (.372/13/55), Boomer Whiting (.358/1/22/69 SB), Daniel Burton (.307/7/45/20 SB), Jorge Castillo (.291/5/42), Chris Cates (.289/0/18/15 SB).

Top pitchers: Trystan Magnuson (3-1, 8 SV, 0.92, 49 IP, 30 H, 8 BB, 49 K), Zach Pitts (8-3, 1.78, 106 IP, 78 H, 21 BB, 80 K), Gavin Logsdon (1-0, 2.15, 37.2 IP, 25 H, 10 BB, 30 K), Justin Marks (7-2, 2.44, 85 IP, 59 H, 26 BB, 72 K), Kyle Hollander (3-1, 2.65, 34 IP, 24 H, 15 BB, 34 K), Colby Wark (3-3, 3.23, 55.2 IP, 42 H, 36 BB, 66 K).

Last NCAA appearance: 2002 (0-2 at Atlanta Regional)

Notes: The Cardinals soared in Dan McDonnell’s first season. McDonnell came to Louisville after assisting Mike Bianco at Ole Miss. The Cardinals feature a little bit of everything, from a pitching staff that limits hitters to a .215 average and 3.75 runs per game, to Boomer Whiting, who leads the nation in stolen bases, to Chris Cates, who at 5-3 is the country’s shortest player but also an important cog in the offense. Isaiah Howes slugs at a .683 clip but struck out 55 times on the year. Logan Johnson ranks in the top 10 in the country with 26 doubles and has an on-base average of .500. Opponents hit .172 off closer Trystan Magnuson. Zach Pitts came out of nowhere to anchor the staff, throwing only 31 innings last year. He pitches with a 18-inch steel rod in his left femur. 

4. Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent, Ohio
Automatic bid – won MAC Tournament

2007 record: 33-24, 19-8 (1st in East Division of MAC)
Coach: Scott Stricklin (Kent State, 1995)
Record at school: 104-63, 3 years
Overall record: same
Assistant coaches: Mike Birbeck, Scott Daeley, Jamie Athas
Team offense - .281 BA, 328 R, 44 HR, .404 SLG%, .357 OB%, 37/47 SB
Team pitching – 3.47 ERA, 509.0 IP, 476 H, 229 BB, 336 K
Top hitters – Andrew Davis (.336/7/53/16 2B), Anthony Gallas (.332/10/43/13 2B), Chris Tremblay (.328/0/23/14 SB), Jason Patton (.303/4/29), Greg Rohan (.274/11/42/13 2B), Brad Winter (.275/7/35/11 2B)

Top pitchers – Ryan Davis (6-3, 8 saves, 1.78, 30.1 IP, 29 H, 9 BB, 17 K), Jason Seelman (1-0, 1 save, 0.57, 31.2 IP, 27 H, 11 BB, 22 K), Evan Smith (4-4, 3.18, 76.1 IP, 77 H, 24 BB, 31 K), Kyle Smith (4-2, 3.84, 70.1 IP, 63 H, 44 BB, 44 K), John Pacella (2-4, 4.21, 51.1 IP, 60 H, 17 BB, 39 K), Chris Carpenter (4-0, 3.65, 37.0 IP, 25 H, 26 BB, 26 K), Reid Lamport (2-1, 3 saves, 2.45, 40.1 IP, 22 H, 15 BB, 35 K)

Last NCAA appearance – 2004 (1-2 at South Bend Regional)
Notes – The MAC Tournament Champions won three straight one-run contests to close out the tournament victory and pick up its first championship since 2004. The Golden Flashes are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in school history and sixth-time as MAC Champions. Kent State may be one of the hottest teams in the country entering the NCAA Tournament as the Golden Flashes have won 16 of their past 17 games. Kent State has made it tight and has made their fans bite their nails low over the past month as the Golden Flashes have won six one-run games in the month of May, and each of its past eight contests have been decided by just one run.