2010 Clemson Super Regional

Capsules by Barrett Neale, Michael Perry, Matt Mullen, Andrew Woods, Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton

Clemson Tigers

Clemson, South Carolina

At-large bid from ACC, Won Auburn Regional

2010 record: 18-12, 41-22 (second in Atlantic Division)

Head coach: Jack Leggett (Maine, 1976)

Record at school: 765-353-1, 17 years

Overall record: 1,142-643-1, 31 years

Assistant coaches: Tom Riginos, Dan Pepicelli, Michael Johnson

Team offense: .306 BA, 553 R, 87 HR, .494 SLG%, .405 OB%, 100-123 SB

Team pitching: 4.82 ERA, 564 IP, 623 H, 210 BB, 442 K

Top hitters: Brad Miller (.365/7/41/.469 OB%), Kyle Parker (.356/20/63/.694 SLG%), John Hinson (.341/15/67/22-26 SB), Mike Freeman (.330/8/55/22 2B), Jeff Schaus (.313/15/80), Wilson Boyd (.304/5/45), Will Lamb (.294/4/36/14-14 SB)

Top pitchers: Casey Harman (6-2, 3.95 ERA, 100.1 IP, 91 H, 31 BB, 86 K), Alex Frederick (7-2, 2 SV, 4.12 ERA, 54.2 IP, 58 H, 25 BB, 48 K), David Haselden (4-4, 4.66 ERA, 2 SV, 36.2 IP, 43 H, 12 BB, 29 K), Dominic Leone (2-1, 4.89 ERA, 49.2 IP, 61 H, 19 BB, 37 K), Scott Weismann (7-2, 5.13 ERA, 86 IP, 90 H, 30 BB, 69 K), Tomas Cruz (3-3, 3 SV, 5.79 ERA, 37.1 IP, 48 H, 15 BB, 24 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2009 (3-2 at Clemson Regional, 0-2 at Tempe Super Regional)

Notes: The Tigers advanced to the postseason for the 35th time, and the 23rd of the past 24 years. They have not been to the College World Series since 2006, and redshirt senior Wilson Boyd is the only remaining player from that team. Clemson is in a Super Regional for the ninth time, with an overall record of 8-11. The Tigers lost twice at Arizona State a season ago. Clemson is the lone No. 2 regional seed to host a Super Regional this season. Clemson, winner of the ACC’s Atlantic Division, is the only school in conference history to become division champions in football and baseball during the same academic year. Coach Jack Leggett can use his personal experience to lead his team through the postseason – he was a captain on the 1976 University of Maine College World Series team and also played three years of football for the Black Bears. Representing Clemson on the All-ACC Baseball Team were junior outfielder Kyle Parker, a first-team selection, and senior second baseman Mike Freeman and junior outfielder Jeff Schaus on the second team. Parker – whose father, Carl, played six seasons in the NFL – also plays quarterback for the Tigers’ football team, and his grand slam on April 21 made him the first Division I athlete to throw 20 touchdown passes and hit 15 home runs. He has now reached his goal of 20 touchdown passes and 20 home runs. Schaus is from a family of college athletes: his parents went to Canisius, where Michael played football and Carolyn played basketball, and his sister, Kristen, struck out a school-record 833 batters from 2005-08 as Princeton’s softball pitcher.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

At-large bid from SEC, Won Atlanta Regional

2010 record: 15-15, 41-23 (fourth in SEC West)

Head coach: Mitch Gaspard (Louisiana-Lafayette, 1988)

Record at school: 41-23, 1 year

Overall record: 252-151, 7 years

Assistant coaches: Dax Norris, Kyle Bunn, Bobby Barbier

Team offense: .298 BA, 452 R, 62 HR, .446 SLG%, .389 OB%, 67-91 SB

Team pitching: 4.81 ERA, 569.1 IP, 626 H, 201 BB, 498 K

Top hitters: Taylor Dugas (.393/2/36/15 2B/19-24 SB), Josh Rutledge (.365/10/69/16 2B/15-18 SB), Clay Jones (.329/17/65/14 2B), Jon Kelton (.297/2/33/13 2B), Ross Wilson (.274/8/44), Jake Smith (.261/13/55)

Top pitchers: Nathan Kilcrease (8-2, 4 SV, 2.42 ERA, 93 IP, 70 H, 19 BB, 81 K), Jimmy Nelson (8-3, 3.92 ERA, 103.1 IP, 101 H, 28 BB, 94 K), Brett Whitaker (2-3, 3 SV, 4.65 ERA, 31 IP, 33 H, 10 BB, 27 K) , Adam Morgan (7-4, 5.52 ERA, 88 IP, 106 H, 30 BB, 72 K), Taylor Wolfe (3-2, 6.13 ERA, 39.2 IP, 50 H, 22 BB, 44 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2009 (0-2 at Clemson Regional)

Notes: Alabama is in its second Super Regional. The Crimson Tide went 2-0 in 1999 at home against LSU and 0-2 in 2006 at home to North Carolina. Alabama is back in the field under first-year coach Mitch Gaspard, who returned to Alabama in 2008 as an assistant for the second time after serving as head coach at Northwestern State from 2001-07. The Crimson Tide was the No. 7 seed but reached the SEC title game. Leadoff man Taylor Dugas, who batted .518 in 340 high school at-bats, has an on-base average of .538 and has walked or been hit by a pitch 70 times compared to 21 strikeouts. His brother Tyler played at McNeese State. Cleanup man Clay Jones is the biggest power threat, slugging at .612. Jones' brother Ben is a football player at Georgia. Junior Josh Rutledge has started at short for three years and was only the second freshman to led Alabama in hitting (Dave Magadan also did it) - his brother Michael played at Mississippi State and Samford. Starter Jimmy Nelson's dad played football and ran track at Florida and his mother played basketball at Florida State. Reliever Nathan Kilcrease is only 5-6, 160, but limits opponents to a .208 average. Starter Adam Morgan's father played for Bama's 1983 national runner-up squad.