2011 Atlanta Regional

1. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Atlanta, Georgia

At-large bid from ACC

2011 record: 22-8, 40-19 (tied for first in Coastal Division)

Head coach: Danny Hall (Miami (Ohio), 1977)

Record at school: 747-347-1, 18 years

Overall record: 985-464-1, 24 years

Assistant coaches: Tom Kinkelaar, Bryan Prince, Rick Rembielak

Team offense: .304 BA, 384 R, 41 HR, .437 SLG%, .386 OB%, 64-79 SB

Team pitching: 2.84 ERA, 533 IP, 462 H, 202 BB, 514 K

Top hitters: Kyle Wren (.352/1/32/14-20 SB), Jake Davies (.350/4/33/13 2B), Matt Skole (.348/9/57/15 2B), Jacob Esch (.319/6/37/21 2B), Sam Dove (.312/0/17), Brandon Thomas (.307/2/25/19-21 SB), Mott Hyde (.288/4/46), Daniel Pakla (.283/10/47/16 2B)

Top pitchers: Mark Pope (11-4, 1.77, 112 IP, 90 H, 23 BB, 88 K), Luke Bard (2-2, 8 SV, 2.98, 45.1 IP, 39 H, 18 BB, 44 K), Buck Farmer (10-3, 2.99, 99.1 IP, 90 H, 29 BB, 97 K), Jed Bradley (6-3, 3.59, 90.1 IP, 81 H, 30 BB, 102 K), Matt Grimes (7-3, 4.30, 67 IP, 66 H, 26 BB, 69 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2010 (2-2 at Atlanta Regional)

Notes: This is the 16th trip to the NCAA tournament for the Yellow Jackets in the 18 seasons under Danny Hall. It will be the 27th appearance overall and 25th in the past 27 years. Tech is hosting a regional for the 11th time and ninth since 2000. Hall is 15 wins away from 1,000 for his career. Tech has reached the College World Series three times, in 1994, 2002 and 2006. In their first appearance, the Yellow Jackets reached the championship game and fell to Oklahoma 13-5. Georgia Tech tied Virginia for first in the ACC Coastal Division with a 22-8 conference mark. Junior right-hander Mark Pope is a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award. Pope was selected in the 17th round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. Luke Bard has two older brothers, both in baseball. Daniel pitched at North Carolina and is in the Boston Red Sox chain. Jared is a senior at the University of Richmond. Bard’s father, Paul, played at Tufts and in the organizations of the Orioles and Dodgers. Kyle and Colby Wren are twins. Their father, Frank, is the General Manager of the Atlanta Braves. Buck Farmer, whose first name is George, was picked in the 45th round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves.

2. Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Automatic bid - won Conference USA tournament

2011 record: 16-8, 39-17 (tied for first in C-USA)

Head coach: Scott Berry (Southwest Missouri State, 1986)

Record at school: 75-41, 2 years

Overall record: 260-99, 6 years

Assistant coaches: Chad Caillet, Michael Federico, Richy Harrelson

Team offense: .302 BA, 394 R, 41 HR, .439 SLG %, .393 OB %, 24-40 SB

Team pitching: 3.45 ERA, 506.2 IP, 501 H, 195 BB, 338 K

Top hitters: Tyler Koelling (.367/4/46/18 2B), Marc Bourgeois (.352/7/38), Adam Doleac (.338/2/39/14 2B), Ashley Graeter (.331/2/23), B.A. Vollmuth (.303/12/48/12 2B), Kameron Brunty (.300/5/34/6-10 SB), Isaac Rodriguez (.295/2/34/14 2B)

Top pitchers: Collin Cargill (6-4, 8 SV, 1.05, 43 IP, 32 H, 20 BB, 28 K), Todd McInnis (8-2, 2.61, 89.2 IP, 87 H, 30 BB, 81 K), Boomer Scarborough (1-1, 1 SV, 2.89, 46.2 IP, 40 H, 23 BB, 30 K), Geoffrey Thomas (10-3, 3.09, 84.1 IP, 75 H, 34 BB, 54 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2010 (1-2 at Auburn Regional)

Notes: The Golden Eagles return to the tourney for the ninth straight year. Southern Miss probably didn’t mind being sent to Atlanta – in 2009, the Golden Eagles won the Atlanta Regional en route to a College World Series appearance. A couple of players who made impacts then and impacts now are senior ace Todd McInnis and junior shorts B.A. Vollmuth. McInnis, throwing on short rest, won the deciding game vs. Georgia Tech in the regional and was the starting pitcher against Texas in the first game of the CWS. Vollmuth, a midseason entry into the starting lineup, hit three homers and drove in 10 in that Atlanta Regional. He has 12 of the team’s 41 homers this year. USM has other issues, though. Top pitchers Geoffrey Thomas and Jonathon Thompson were suspended before the C-USA tourney – Thomas possibly could play in the Regional, but Thompson reportedly will not play. And leading hitter Tyler Koelling is questionable with an injury.

3. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Starkville, Mississippi

At-large bid from SEC

2011 record: 14-16, 34-23 (tied for second in SEC West)

Head coach: John Cohen (Mississippi State, 1990)

Record at school: 82-85, 3 years

Overall record: 403-281-1, 12 years

Assistant coaches: Butch Thompson, Lane Burroughs

Team offense: .282 BA, 351 R, 28 HR, .392 SLG%, .384 OB%, 84-112 SB

Team pitching: 4.37 ERA, 502 IP, 520 H, 203 BB, 448 K

Top hitters: Jarrod Parks (.383/3/36), Nick Vickerson (.310/7/28/25-28 SB), C.T. Bradford (.295/0/29), Jaron Shepherd (.294/4/26), Cody Freeman (.290/2/26), Jonathan Ogden (.268/8/35)

Top pitchers: Caleb Reed (0-1, 1.48, 11 SV, 54.2 IP, 43 H, 21 BB, 60 K), Daryl Norris (2-0, 2.59, 24.1 IP, 19 H, 10 BB, 17 K), Taylor Stark (3-0, 3.12, 17.1 IP, 5 H, 7 BB, 18 K), Evan Mitchell (5-1, 3.49, 38.2 IP, 40 H, 16 BB, 39 K), Kendall Graveman (5-0, 3.71, 53.1 IP, 52 H, 9 BB, 35 K), Nick Routt (2-3, 4.15, 43.1 IP, 51 H, 20 BB, 43 K), Luis Pollorena (6-5, 4.44, 50.2 IP, 52 H, 17BB, 31 K), Chris Stratton (5-7, 5.21, 74.1 IP, 81 H, 26 BB, 74 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2007 (3-0 at Tallahassee Regional, 2-0 at Starkville Super Regional, 0-2 at College World Series)

Notes: The Bulldogs will be making their first appearance since 2007, when they won the Tallahassee Regional and swept Clemson to reach their eighth appearance in the College World Series. Coach John Cohen played on the 1990 MSU CWS team and returned to his alma mater after coaching Kentucky, where he was honored by CollegeBaseballInsider.com as national coach of the year in 2006. Jarrod Parks missed all of last year with a back injury and led the Bulldogs in hits and on-base average - he was walked or hit 61 times and boasts an OBA of .530. Nick Vickerson batted 100 points better than his 2010 campaign and also led MSU in slugging at .533. Caleb Reed entered this season with a 3-8 career record with a 7.44 ERA and turned into one of the SEC's top closers. Daryl Norris contributed both in the field and on the mound.

4. Austin Peay Governors

Clarksville, Tennessee

Automatic bid – won Ohio Valley Conference tournament

2011 record: 17-6, 33-22 (first in OVC)

Head coach: Gary McClure (Austin Peay, 1987)

Record at school: 711-650-4, 24 years

Overall record: same

Assistant coaches: Derrick Dunbar, Joel Mangrum, Joel Pedretti

Team offense: .306 BA, 380 R, 45 HR, .452 SLG%, .392 OBP, 95-126 SB

Team pitching: 5.27 ERA, 467.2 IP, 568 H, 255 BB, 412 K

Top hitters: Jordan Hankins (.361/3/30/15 2B), Michael Blanchard (.339/1/27/28-33 SB), Reed Harper (.332/4/43/11-15 SB), Greg Bachman (.318/7/45/17 2B), John Hogan (.317/13/62), Rolando Gautier (.295/1/23), Cody Hudson (.293/7/32/18-26 SB)

Top pitchers: Jeremy Dobbs (9-2, 3.43. 86.2 IP, 84 H, 49 BB, 85 K), Jack Snodgrass (3-6, 3.72, 72.2 IP, 91 H, 24 BB, 64 K), Ryne Harper (6-2, 8 SV, 4.06, 44.1 IP, 52 H, 14 BB, 54 K), Zach Toney (6-2, 1 SV, 4.33, 72.2 IP, 83 H, 46 BB, 67 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2007 (1-2 at Nashville Regional)

Notes: The Governors are in the field for the third time in seven seasons after winning 15 of their past 18 games, including three straight in the OVC tourney. The last time Austin Peay was in the tourney, it battled Vandy’s David Price tooth and nail, eventually losing 2-1 in 11 innings. Lefty Jeremy Dobbs, who will start Friday, is the OVC Pitcher of the Year. The Govs have siblings in Reed and Ryne Harper. John Hogan has 13 of the team’s 45 homers, and Michael Blanchard has 18 extra-base hits to go with 28 stolen bases.