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2010 Charlottesville Regional
Capsules by Barrett Neale, Michael
Perry, Matt Mullen, Andrew Woods, Scott Day, Sean Ryan
1. Virginia Cavaliers (5)
Charlottesville, Virginia
At-large bid from ACC
2010 record: 23-7,
47-11 (first in Coastal Division)
Head coach: Brian
O’Connor (Creighton, 1993)
Record at school:
288-111-1, 7 years
Overall record: Same
Assistant coaches:
Kevin McMullan, Karl Kuhn, Eddie Smith, Justin Armistead
Team offense: .333 BA,
477 R, 55 HR, .513 SLG%, .417 OB%, 81/103 SB
Team pitching: 3.67
ERA, 520.1 IP, 450 H, 193 BB, 495 K
Top hitters: Keith
Werman (.444/0/21), Stephen Bruno (.392/3/30/.598 SLG), Phil
Gosselin (.379/9/54/16-20 SB), John Barr (.361/1/17), Tyler
Cannon (.342/3/35), Kenny Swab (.336/4/28), Jarrett Parker
(.330/8/50), Steven Proscia (.317/10/62)
Top pitchers: Danny
Hultzen (9-1, 2.43, 92.2, 62 H, 20 BB, 111 K), Branden Kline
(4-0, 2.96, 2 SV, 54.2 IP, 16 BB, 46 K), Kevin Arico (1-1, 2.93,
16 SV, 27.2 IP, 21 H, 7 BB, 38 K), Tyler Wilson (7-3, 3.42, 3 SV,
55.1 IP, 40 H, 24 BB, 60 K), Robert Morey (9-3, 3.60, 90 IP, 74
H, 37 BB, 72 K), Cody Winiarski (5-0, 4.39, 67.2 IP, 70 H, 23
BB, 40 K).
Last NCAA appearance:
2009 (3-0 at Irvine Regional, 2-1 at Oxford Super Regional, 1-2
in College World Series)
Notes: This is
Virginia’s seventh-consecutive Regional berth, which is the
longest streak in school history, and it has now served as a
Regional host four times since 2004. The team has fared well at
the end of the season, going 18-2 record since April 20. The
Cavaliers have already set school single-season records for
doubles (147) and triples (30). They won their first Coastal
Division title during the regular season, but went 2-1 in the
conference tournament and failed to advance to the championship
game. Baseball America and Rivals.com ranked Virginia at No. 1
for six-consecutive weeks this season, the first No. 1 ranking
in program history. Virginia won a program-record 23 ACC games
with nine ACC series wins, including four ACC series sweeps,
this season. Their only series loss was to NC State, from April
2-4. The Cavaliers had a school-record seven players selected to
the All-ACC Baseball Team and Brian O’Connor was named ACC Coach
of the Year for the second time – the first was in 2004.
Sophomore Danny Hultzen, the 2009 ACC Freshman of the Year, was
named ACC Pitcher of the Year and joined junior outfielder Phil
Gosselin and junior reliever Kevin Arico on the All-ACC First
Team. With 16 saves, Arico is tied with Louisville’s Neil
Holland for the national lead (as of May 29). Sophomore second
baseman Keith Werman, senior shortstop Tyler Cannon, junior
outfielder Jarrett Parker, and junior pitcher Robert Morey made
the All-ACC Second Team. Werman – whose brother, Ryan, played at
Virginia from 2002-2005 – is ambidextrous and once pitched
left-handed for 3.1 innings and right-handed for 3.2 innings to
win a seven-inning complete game. Cannon holds the school record
for games played (237) and at-bats (885). O’Connor pitched on
Creighton’s 1991 CWS team and led the Cavaliers to the program’s
first CWS berth last season.
2. Mississippi Rebels
Oxford, Mississippi
At-large bid from SEC
2010 record: 16-14,
38-22 (third in SEC West)
Head coach: Mike Bianco
(LSU, 1989)
Record at school:
399-225-1, 10 years
Overall record:
499-296-1, 13 years
Assistant coaches: Carl
Lafferty, Matt Mossberg, Rob Francis
Team offense: .287 BA,
398 R, 61 HR, .433 SLG%, .375 OBP, 60-75 SB
Team pitching: 4.62
ERA, 538 IP, 559 H, 173 BB, 544 K
Top hitters: Matt Smith
(.344/12/51/14 2B), Matt Snyder (.343/10/33), Tanner Mathis
(.322/11/33), Taylor Hashman (.307/9/40), Tim Ferguson
(.301/8/33/13 2B/24-28 SB), Alex Yarbrough (.285/3/37/13 2B),
Taylor Hightower (.285/0/17), Kevin Mort (.279/2/22), Zach
Miller (.279/2/46/12 2B)
Top pitchers: Drew
Pomeranz (8-2, 2.21 ERA, 93.2 IP, 64 H, 46 BB, 134 K), Brett
Huber (2-0, 12 SV, 2.54 ERA, 46 IP, 30 H, 19 BB, 54 K), Matt
Crouse (5-1, 1 SV, 3.12 ERA, 52 IP, 43 H, 20 BB, 58 K), Aaron
Barrett (7-4, 4.16 ERA, 88.2 IP, 77 H, 46 BB, 97 K)
Last NCAA appearance:
2009 (3-1 at Oxford Regional, 1-2 at Oxford Super Regional)
Notes: The Rebels are
back in the postseason for the ninth time in Mike Bianco's 10
years in Oxford. Bianco played two years for legendary LSU
skipper Skip Bertman and got his coaching start on Alabama coach
Jim Wells' staff at Northwestern State. His first head coaching
job was at McNeese State. Lefty Drew Pomeranz is one of the most
lethal arms in the country - 134 Ks in 93.2 IP, opponents'
average of .190. He's backed by Aaron Barrett, who strikes out
better than one per inning and limits hitters to .238. Closer
Brett Huber has 12 saves and limits hitters to .185. Taylor
Hashman had a big SEC tourney and is batting 97 points better
than his .210 average a year ago. Matt Smith has been a leader
the past three years and has 150 RBI in his career. Matt and
Mike Snyder are twins whose brother Brandon was drafted by the
Baltimore Orioles as the 13th overall pick in 2005 and whose dad
played baseball at Clemson. Kevin Mort has only 15 Ks in 226
at-bats.
3. St. John’s Red Storm
Queens, New York
Automatic bid – won Big East Tournament
2010 record: 16-11,
40-18 (fourth in Big East)
Head coach: Ed
Blankmeyer (Seton Hall, 1976)
Record at school:
510-303-3, 15 years
Overall record:
510-303-3, 15 years
Assistant coaches:
Mike Hampton, Scott Brown, Jeffrey Quiros
Team offense: .327
BA, 452 R, 55 HR, .490 SLG %, .407 OB %, 63-83 SB
Team pitching: 5.05
ERA, 519 IP, 513 H, 296 BB, 425 K
Top hitters: Jeremy
Baltz (.393/20/74/16 2B), Joe Panik (.383/8/48/17 2B), Greg
Hopkins (.367/6/55/21 2B), Sean O’Hare (.352/1/29/16 2B), Jimmy
Parque (.352/4/44/19 2B), Paul Karmas (.329/8/52/13 2B), Matt
Wessinger (.284/4/43/15 2B), Scott Ferrara (.282/1/29/21-25 SB)
Top pitchers: Daniel
Burawa (1-0, 11 SV, 2.78 ERA, 22.2 IP, 18 H, 12 BB, 30 K), Kyle
Hansen (8-1, 3.09 ERA, 87.1 IP, 64 H, 36 BB, 81 K), Kevin
Kilpatrick (1-1, 3.57 ERA, 35.1 IP, 37 H, 5 BB, 25 K), Stephen
Rivera (4-2, 1 SV, 3.65 ERA, 37 IP, 36 H, 19 BB, 21 K), Bruce
Kern (6-5, 5.91 ERA, 80.2 IP, 86 H, 32 BB, 70 K), 31 K)
Last NCAA appearance:
2008 (1-2 in Houston Regional)
Notes: St. John’s is
making its 32nd trip to the NCAA Tournament and fifth in the
past seven seasons. Head coach Ed Blankmeyer led the Red Storm
to its second Big East Tournament title. Blankmeyer was an
Academic All-American at Seton Hall. He was the starting second
baseman for the 1974 and 1975 Pirate teams that reached the
College World Series. Freshman Kyle Hansen was selected in the
40th round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Hansen is the brother of Craig Hansen, former St. John's pitcher
and a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hansen, Daniel Burawa, Sean O’Hare and Joe Panik were each named
to the All-Big East third team. Freshman Jeremy Baltz, the Big
East Rookie of the Year, was taken in the 45th round of the 2009
MLB Draft by the New York Yankees. Baltz was one of two
unanimous selections to the All-Big East first team. Senior
Jimmy Parque went to Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo,
Calif., the same high school that Barry Bonds attended. While at
Skyline Junior College, Parque was selected in the 40th round of
the 2008 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
4. VCU Rams
Richmond, Virginia
Automatic bid – won CAA Tournament
2010 record: 16-7-1, 34-24-1 (third in CAA)
Head coach: Paul Keyes (Old Dominion, 1984)
Record at school: 532-339-1, 15 years
Overall record: 532-339-1, 15 years
Assistant coaches: Shawn Stiffler, Cory Whitby, Tim
Haynes
Team offense: .309 BA, 413 R, 33 HR, .427 SLG%, .377 OBP,
91-129 SB
Team pitching: 5.15 ERA, 521.0 IP, 568 H, 211 BB, 371 K
Top hitters: Joe Van Meter (.433/13 2B/10 HR/59 R/72
RBI/14-18), Richard Gonzalez (.391/19/0/66/37/20-26), Brent
Mikionis (.332/13/10/38/50), Taylor Perkins (.306/8/2/30/30)
Top pitchers: Seth Cutler-Voltz (8-3/3.20 ERA/6 CG/115.1
IP/110 H/65 K/30 BB), Jonathan Watson (4-2/2.78/29
appearances/55.0 IP/41/51/22), Robbie Andrews (1-2/3.18 ERA/9
saves/34.0 IP/33/26/14)
Last NCAA Appearance: 2007 (0-2 at Coastal Carolina
Regional)
Notes: The Rams made one of the most improbable runs to
the conference title in the CAA’s 25 year history. After two
years of missing the conference tournament and sub-.500 seasons,
the Rams were picked seventh in the preseason coaches’ poll and
things looked bleak after a 9-10 start to the year. But VCU had
different ideas in conference play, rolling to an 11-1 start and
entering the conference tourney as the third-seed and won the
title in a winner-take-all game against the host UNC Wilmington,
7-5 in 12 innings. The leader of a pretty deep offense is Joe
Van Meter who set conference and school records with 104 hits.
He also added 10 long balls, 59 runs scored and 72 RBI. Over the
final month of the season, he hit nearly .500 with a .487
batting average. On the mound, the Rams are led by sophomore
Seth Cutler-Voltz who tossed five complete games (the most by
any VCU pitcher in the past 13 years) on his way to a 8-3 record
and a 3.20 ERA. The back end of the Black & Gold bullpen have
been key as well with the addition of transfer Jonathan Watson
(Longwood) and closer Robbie Andrews. Watson has appeared in 29
games and allowed just 41 hits in 55 innings, while Andrews (an
All-Star in the Coastal Plains Summer League) picked up a
conference-high nine saves. Richard Gonzalez, a second-team All-CAA
selection at second base, was an All-Star in the Valley League
this past summer and carried it over to the season with a near
.400 batting average and a fantastic defensive second base with
just one error in 24 conference games.
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