2012 Gary Regional

Regional Schedules

CBI Preseason Feature on Purdue (Feb. 2)

1. Purdue Boilermakers

West Lafayette, Indiana

Automatic bid from Big 10

2012 record: 17-7, 43-12 (first in Big 10)

Head coach: Doug Schreiber (Purdue, 1986)

Record at school: 423-350, 14 years

Overall record: Same

Assistant coaches: Jeff Duncan, Tristan McIntyre

Team offense: .318 BA, 371 R, 33 HR, .435 SLG%, .386 OBP, 62-89 SB

Team pitching: 3.11 ERA, 492.2 IP, 467 H, 121 BB, 342 K

Top hitters: Eric Charles (.368/0/33), Kevin Plawecki (.365/6/44), Cameron Perkins (.360/9/58), Stephen Talbott (.352/1/18), Andrew Dixon (.324/0/16), Barrett Serrato (.320/6/45), David Miller (.309/3/29)

Top pitchers: Blake Mascarello (8-1, 1.64, 65.2 IP, 47 H, 10 BB, 45 K), Nick Wittgren (2-0, 1.98, 10 SV, 36.1 IP, 33 H, 11 BB, 35 K), Robert Ramer (6-0, 2.57, 42 IP, 35 H, 2 BB, 28 K), Lance Breedlove (8-5, 2.82, 95.2 IP, 79 H, 15 BB, 75 K), Joe Haase (10-1, 3.41, 95 IP, 94 H, 20 BB, 52 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 1987 (0-2 at Mideast Regional at Starkville, Miss.)

Notes: It took more than 100 years, but the Boilermakers finally won their first Big 10 title and appear in the tourney for the first time since 1987 – a year after coach Doug Schreiber graduated. Catcher Kevin Plawecki was named the conference player of the year, and Joe Haase was named the conference pitcher of the year. Infielders Eric Charles and Cameron Perkins also made first-team all-Big 10. Blake Mascarello limits hitters to a .199 average, and Lance Breedlove held hitters to .226. Robert Ramer walked two and struck out 28 in 42 innings. Boilermakers David Miller and Cal Gunter have contributed a journal to CollegeBaseballInsider.com this season. Coach Doug Schreiber’s father is Ken Schreiber, a three-time national high school coach of the year who led his teams to an Indiana state record seven state titles.

2. Kentucky Wildcats

Lexington, Kentucky

At-large bid from SEC

2012 record: 18-12, 43-16 (tied for second in SEC East)

Head coach: Gary Henderson (San Diego State, 1984)

Record at school: 127-97, 4 years

Overall record: same

Assistant coaches: Brad Bohannon, Brian Green, Keith Vorhoff

Team offense: .297 BA, 361 R, 56 HR, .442 SLG%, .383 OBP, 45-60 SB

Team pitching: 3.48 ERA, 522 IP, 517 H, 150 BB, 455 K

Top hitters: Austin Cousino (.318/9/38/19 2B/13-14 SB), A.J. Reed (.314/4/42), Luke Maile (.313/12/49/13 2B), Thomas McCarthy (.309/5/30/19 2B), Michael Williams (.294/3/33), Zac Zellers (.289/5/18/20 HBP/.438 OB%)

Top pitchers: Trevor Gott (3-0, 2.57, 9 SV, 21 IP, 15 H, 7 BB, 43 K), Corey Littrell (8-2, 2.66, 91.1 IP, 97 H, 23 BB, 80 K), Jerad Grundy (5-3, 3.95, 79.2 IP, 74 H, 32 BB, 57 K), Taylor Rogers (6-4, 4.31, 1 SV, 85.2 IP, 97 H, 19 BB, 78 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2008 (2-2 at Ann Arbor Regional)

Notes: Kentucky was one of the surprise teams of 2012. The Wildcats were the last Division I team to taste defeat, winning their first 22 games before falling at Tennessee on March 23. Head coach Gary Henderson was named SEC Coach of the Year, while centerfielder Austin Cousino was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Year. Cousino, catcher Luke Maile and starting pitcher Corey Littrell were named second-team All-SEC. UK is in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time, with a 10-12 mark in tourney contests. Kentucky is 5-0 all-time against Kent State, 5-1 against Purdue and has not faced Valparaiso.

3. Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent, Ohio
Automatic bid, won Mid-American Conference Tournament (4-0; defeated Central Michigan in championship game, 3-1)
2012 record: 24-3, 41-17 (first in East Division; conference regular season champions)
Head coach: Scott Stricklin (Kent State, 1995)
Record at school: 308-162, 8 years
Overall record: same
Assistant coaches: Mike Birkbeck, Scott Daeley, Doug Sanders, Kyle Smith
Team offense: .308 BA, 409 R, 41 HR, .451 SLG%, .386 OB%, 52-69 SB
Team pitching: 3.55 ERA, 519 IP, 492 H, 205 BB, 479 K
Top hitters: Nick Hamilton (.377/19/55/12 2B/35 RBI), George Roberts
(.368/42/82/18 2B, 7 HR/57 RBI), Jimmy Rider (.361/60/91/26 2B, 49 RBI),
Evan Campbell (.346/54/82/19 2B/37 RBI), T.J. Sutton (.305/30/51), Sawyer Polen
(.293/36/48), David Lyon (.288/49/60/10 HR)
Top pitchers: David Starn (10-3, 1.77, 101.2 IP, 76 H, 37 BB, 112 K), Ryan Bores (8-2, 3.32, 89.1 IP, 95 H, 14 BB, 61 K), Tyler Skulina (10-2, 3.94, 89.0 IP, 84 H, 36 BB, 88 K), Brian Clark (4-0, 4 SV, 0.44, 20.2 IP, 9 H, 7 BB, 18 K)
Last NCAA appearance: 2011 (2-2 at Austin Regional)
Notes: Kent State is making its 12th NCAA appearance overall and fourth straight. Its last win in the tourney was a 7-5 victory over Texas in Austin in 2011. Scott Stricklin, 2012 MAC Coach of the Year, has led the Golden Flashes to 40-plus wins for the second straight year and ninth time in program history. Kent State, which owns the nation's longest winning streak entering the 2012 NCAA Tournament (17 games), won an unprecedented fourth straight MAC Tournament title. The Flashes have won 32 of their past 39 games, including 21 of their past 23. Senior LHP David Starn, the 2012 MAC Pitcher of the Year, broke the school's career records in pitching wins (28), strikeouts (332) and innings pitched (323.0) and is the two-time defending MAC Tournament MVP. Junior 1B George Roberts earned 2012 MAC Player of the Year honors after leading the conference in RBI (57). Senior shortstop Jimmy Rider is the MAC's all-time hits king with 329 career base knocks.

CBI Feature on Tanner Vavra (March 2)

4. Valparaiso Crusaders

Valparaiso, Indiana

Automatic bid – won Horizon Tournament

2012 record: 22-8, 35-23 (first in Horizon)

Head coach: Tracy Woodson (Valparaiso, 2010)

Record at school: 155-180, 6 years

Overall record: 155-180, 6 years

Assistant coaches: Brian Schmack, Adam Piotrowicz, Jeramy St. Clair

Team offense: .292 BA, 331 R, 14 HR, .362 SLG%, .367 OBP, 46-62 SB

Team pitching: 3.41 ERA, 533.2 IP, 543 H, 137 BB, 319 K

Top hitters: Spencer Mahoney (.355/0/23), Tanner Vavra (.333/1/19/15-19 SB), Elliott Martin (.310/2/50), Andrew Bain (.310/0/19), Will Hagel (.300/2/42/10 2B), Chris Manning (.292/2/35/11-14 SB)

Top pitchers: Jarad Miller (5-2, 2.06, 8 SV, 43.2 IP, 41 H, 12 BB, 34 K), Kevin Wild (6-3, 2.91, 105.1 IP, 95 H, 32 BB, 57 K), Tyler Deetjen (8-2, 3-22, 114.2 IP, 125 H, 11 BB, 60 K), Kyle Wormington (6-6, 3.28, 101.2 IP, 99 H, 19 BB, 58 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 1968 (0-2 in District 4 at Minneapolis)

Notes: Valparaiso is making its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1968. Gary is just 27 miles from campus. Tracy Woodson, the 2012 Horizon League Coach of the Year, was a member of the 1988 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. He played at NC State and was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team. Purdue owns a 63-18 edge in the all-time series with the Crusaders. The Boilermakers won 14-5 a season ago in West Lafayette. Valpo has never met Kentucky or Kent State. The Crusaders have tied the program record for victories in a season with 35. Senior righty Kevin Wild was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Year and Kyle Wormington was co-Newcomer of the Year.