2010 Los Angeles Regional

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

1. UCLA Bruins (6)

Los Angeles, California

At-large bid from the Pac-10

2010 record: 18-9, 42-13 (second in Pac-10)

Head coach:  John Savage (Nevada, 1991)

Record at school: 165-163 in six seasons

Overall record: 271-247-1 in nine seasons

Assistant coaches: Rick Vanderhook, Steve Pearse, P.C. Shaw

Team offense: .309 BA, 389 R, 52 HR, .462 SLG%, .401 OB %, 83/110 SB

Team pitching: 3.02 ERA, 509.0 IP, 413 H, 176 BB, 578 K

Top hitters: Dean Espy (.359/7/45), Beau Amaral (.343/3/22), Justin Uribe (.343/2/25), Tyler Rahmatulla (.337/6/41), Blair Dunlap (.333/5/22), Cody Keefer (.318/2/31), Cody Regis (.303/4/34)

Top pitchers: Garett Claypool (8-3, 2.05, 79.0 IP, 46 H, 19 BB, 72 K), Trevor Bauer (9-3, 2.84, 101.1 IP, 95 H, 33 BB, 124 K), Rob Rasmussen (9-2, 2.89, 84.0 IP, 69 H, 27 BB, 101 K), Gerrit Cole (9-2, 3.27, 96.1 IP, 70 H, 46 BB, 124 K), Dan Klein (5-0, 9 SV, 2.13, 42.1 IP, 33 H, 8 BB, 48 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2008 (2-2 in Fullerton Regional)

Notes: After a one-year absence from the post season the Burins are back on the Road to Omaha. UCLA finished second in the Pac-10 and sported the program’s best conference record since its 1997 CWS appearance. This is UCLA’s fourth appearance in the past five seasons under the direction of John Savage. The Bruins sport four rock-solid starters and a dependable bullpen that includes closer Dan Klein. The batting order is not overwhelmed with long ball hitters, but Espy and Rahmatulla provide plenty of bang in the bats.

2. LSU Tigers

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Automatic bid – won SEC Tournament

2010 record: 14-16, 40-20 (fifth in SEC West)

Head coach: Paul Mainieri (Florida International, 1980)

Record at school: 164-81-2, 3 years

Overall record: 1,028-573-6, 27 years

Assistant coaches: David Grewe, Javi Sanchez, Will Davis

Team offense: .320 BA, 480 R, 75 HR, .500 SLG%, .408 OBP, 75-102 SB

Team pitching: 5.52 ERA, 540 IP, 590 H, 216 BB, 450 K

Top hitters: Micah Gibbs (.392/9/55/13 2B), Blake Dean (.344/11/69/15 2B), Tyler Hanover (.336/2/33/16 2B), Mikie Mahtook (.335/14/49/19 2B/22-31 SB), Leon Landry (.330/6/44/10 2B/16-19 SB), Austin Nola (.324/5/50/15 2B), Matt Gaudet (.289/19/66)

Top pitchers: Ben Alsup (4-0, 3.61 ERA, 42.1 IP, 43 H, 11 BB, 33 K), Jordan Rittiner (4-4, 2 SV, 4.31 ERA, 56.1 IP, 76 H, 13 BB, 36 K), Daniel Bradshaw (5-1, 5.01 ERA, 46.2 IP, 59 H, 12 BB, 29 K), Austin Ross (5-4, 1 SV, 5.07 ERA, 81.2 IP, 81 H, 19 BB, 93 K), Matty Ott (2-4, 11 SV, 6.69 ERA, 50.1 IP, 39 H, 21 BB, 37 K), Anthony Ranaudo (5-2, 7.49 ERA, 45.2 IP, 53 H, 23 BB, 44 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2009 (3-0 at Baton Rouge Regional, 2-0 at Baton Rouge Super Regional, 5-1 at College World Series, National Champion)

Notes: After slumping through much of the second half of the season, LSU, the No. 8 seed, rolled through the SEC Tournament to win its third straight title (first team since Alabama from 1995-97). The Tigers are 13-1 in the SEC Tourney under coach Paul Mainieri. The defending national champ, however, will travel for its Regional - the Tigers were 4-12 on the road. Mainieri, who shared the 2008 CBI Coach of the Year with Stanford's Mark Marquess, earned his 1,000th career win against Centenary in February. Mikie Mahtook leads the Tigers with 36 extra-base hits (19 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR) and slugging (.638). Blake Dean was a 10th round pick of the Minnesota Twins but came back for another year and now has 55 career homers. Closer Matty Ott has 27 career saves in two seasons, but like many LSU pitchers, has struggled at times this year. Anthony Ranaudo went 12-3 with a 3.04 ERA last year, and is 5-2 with an ERA near 8 this year. Austin Ross strikes out better than one an inning, and opponents hit .253 off of him. Reliever Paul Bertuccini's next appearance will set the school mark at 109 games.
 

3. UC Irvine Anteaters

Irvine, California

At-large bid from Big West

2010 record: 17-7, 37-19 (second in Big West)

Head coach: Mike Gillespie (Southern California, 1962)

Record at school: 124-52, 3 years

Overall record: 887-523-2, 23 years

Assistant coaches: Pat Shine, Ted Silva, Bob Macaluso, Jason Dietrich

Team offense: .304 BA, 362 R, 33 HR, .436 SLG%, .385 OB%, 36-63 SB

Team pitching: 3.79 ERA, 503.1 IP, 508 H, 140 BB, 455 K

Top hitters: Jeff Cusick (.379/8/56/.579 SLG), Brian Hernandez (.333/4/42), Casey Stevenson (.318/4/38/7-8 SB), Ronnie Shaeffer (.316/3/31), Francis Larson (.299/5/34), Ryan Fisher (.305/3/16), Sean Madigan (.283/1/28), D.J. Crumlich (.274/1/15)

Top pitchers: Daniel Bibona (9-2, 2.10, 90 IP, 66 H, 15 BB, 100 K), Eric Pettis (9-3, 3.37, 6 SV, 117.2 IP, 131 H, 23 BB, 83 K), Christian Bergman (8-3, 3.82, 1 SV, 96.2 IP, 104 H, 15 BB, 74 K), Nick Hoover (2-0, 2.81, 25.2 IP, 15 H, 12 BB, 33 K), Evan Brock (5-4, 2.96, 1 SV, 54.2 IP, 27 H, 29 BB, 53 K), Kyle Necke (1-4, 4.61, 7 SV, 41 IP, 49 H, 9 BB, 41 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2009 (2-2 at Irvine Regional)

Notes: This is the Anteaters’ fifth-straight year in the NCAA tournament. They ended the regular season on a high note, with senior Eric Pittis pitching a second-consecutive complete game to help the team sweep Long Beach State. Coach Mike Gillespie is one of only two people to win NCAA titles as a player, at USC in 1961, and coach, at USC in 1998 (former Arizona coach Jerry Kindall is the other). On Jan. 8, Gillespie was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Three seniors have set school records during their career: Daniel Bibona has 330 strikeouts, Francis Larson has 22 home runs and Jeff Cusick has 50 doubles. Bibona is one of 25 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, one of 25 quarterfinalists for the College Baseball Foundation’s Pitcher of the Year award and one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Senior Christian Bergman has excelled during his past three starts, striking out 18 batters during 24.1 shutout innings. Sophomore Matt Summers, a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., is the only member of the 33-man roster whose hometown is not in California. The inspiration for the school’s mascot came from the anteater in Johnny Hart’s comic strip, “B.C.”

4. Kent State Golden Flashes

Kent, Ohio

Automatic bid – won Mid-American Conference Tournament

2010 record: 18-9, 39-23 (tied for first in East Division)

Head coach: Scott Stricklin (Kent State, 1995)

Record at school: 222-126, 6 years

Overall record: 222-126, 6 years

Associate head coach: Mike Birkbeck

Assistant coaches: Scott Daeley, Doug Sanders

Team offense: .320 BA, 494 R, 63 HR, .494 SLG%, .401 OB%, 30-46 SB

Team pitching: 5.06 ERA, 553 IP, 578 H, 260 BB, 431 K

Top hitters: Anthony Gallas (.367/17/81/24 2B), Ben Klafczynski (.365/9/59/27 2B), Kyle McMillen (.353/5/43/15 2B), Evan Campbell (.347/2/34/12 2B), Travis Shaw (.341/15/60/22 2B), Jimmy Rider (.340/1/43/21 2B), Jared Humphreys (.324/4/42/20 2B/11-16 SB), David Lyon (.278/5/42/18 2B)

Top pitchers: Brett Weibley (3-1, 3 SV, 3.93 ERA, 36.2 IP, 28 H, 23 BB, 35 K), Robert Sabo (6-4, 4.08 ERA, 90.1 IP, 82 H, 36 BB, 77 K), Kyle McMillen (1-2, 4 SV, 4.24 ERA, 23.1 IP, 23 H, 11 BB, 15 K), David Starn (7-2, 5.06 ERA, 85.1 IP, 111 H, 24 BB, 72 K), Justin Gill (4-1, 5 SV, 5.06 ERA, 48 IP, 52 H, 19 BB, 35 K), Kyle Hallock (8-5, 1 SV, 5.64 ERA, 83 IP, 92 H, 32 BB, 69 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2009 (1-2 in Tempe Regional)

Notes: The Golden Flashes had the tough road to the MAC tourney title, losing in their first game before putting together five straight wins to capture the crown. Kent State had two win twice on each of the last two days of the tournament, including a 5-3 win over top-seeded Central Michigan in the championship game. Kyle Hallock got the win in both games on Championship Saturday, pitching the 10th against Eastern Michigan to capture the bracket and going seven innings in a start against CMU. This is the 10th NCAA Tournament appearance for the Golden Flashes and third in the past four years. Associate head coach Mike Birkbeck pitched professionally for 14 seasons, including four with the Milwaukee Brewers and two with the New York Mets. Travis Shaw’s father, Jeff, played professional baseball from 1986-2001 and pitched for the Indians, Expos, Dodgers and Reds. Jimmy Rider’s father, Jim, played baseball at Jacksonville University. David Wright’s father, Robert, played for the Chicago Bears in 1980. He is one of only 13 NFL players to be drafted and earn a doctorate degree.