2012 Los Angeles Regional

Regional Schedules

CBI Preseason Feature on Adam Plutko (Feb. 10)

1. UCLA Bruins

Los Angeles, California

Automatic bid – won Pac-12 title

2012 Record: 42-14, 20-10 (tied for first)

Head Coach: John Savage (Nevada, 1991)

Assistant Coaches: Rex Peters, T.J. Bruce, Jake Silverman

Team Offense: .310, 351 runs, 77 doubles, 21 HR, .400 SLG, .397 OPS, 57 SB

Team Pitching: 3.26 ERA, 42-14, 15 SV, 368 K, .246 Opp Avg.

Top Hitters: Jeff Gelalich (.367, 9 HR, 39 RBI, .540 SLG), Tyler Heineman (.359, 25 RBI, .420 SLG), Cody Keefer (.338, 11 doubles, 34 RBI), Trevor Brown (.326, 12 doubles, 46 RBI) Beau Amaral (.313, 43 RBI, 12 SB)

Top Pitchers: Scott Griggs (2.27 ERA, 3-1, 15 SV, 78 K), David Berg (1.79 ERA, 43 App, 51 K), Adam Plutko (2.79 ERA, 9-3, 78 K), Grant Watson (4.41 ERA, 9-2, 44 K) Nick Vander Tuig(4.94ERA, 8-3, 53)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2011 UCLA Regional

Notes: Ended the season with a series win over USC that gave them a share of the Pac-12 title with Arizona. UCLA will host a regional for the second straight year just after they went to back-to-back College World Series. The Bruins lost to South Carolina in the CWS Championship Series in 2010. Beau Amaral is the son of former Major Leaguer Rich Amaral.

2. San Diego Toreros

San Diego, California

At-large bid from WCC

2012 Record: 40-15, 15-9 (second in WCC)

Head Coach: Rich Hill (Cal Lutheran, 1984)

Assistant Coaches: Jay Johnson, Tyler Kincaid, Ramon Orozco

Team Offense: .310, 344 runs, 114 doubles, 34 HR, .440 SLG, .389 OPS, 44 SB

Team Pitching: 40-15, 3.25 ERA, 24 SV, 391 K, .252 Opp Avg.

Top Hitters: Corey LeVier (.367, 3 HR, 31 RBI) Kris Bryant (.359, 14HR, 57RBI, .660 SLG), Julian Duran (.337), Andrew Daniel (.350, 4 HR, 45 RBI), Louie Lechich (.313, 10 2B, 33 RBI).

Top Pitchers: James Pazos (1.53 ERA, 5-1, .168 BA), Michael Wagner (2.50 ERA, 5-1, 19 SV), Paul Sewald (2.83 ERA, 8-3, 75 K), Calvin Drummond (3.33 ERA, 8-6, 73 K), Dylan Covey (3.38 ERA, 6-3, 80 IP)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2010 (1-2 at Tempe Regional)

Notes: Lost to Pepperdine in the last game of the season for the WCC Conference Championship. Finished 2nd in the WCC. Closer Michael Wagner tied for the nation lead in saves with 19 and set the single-season Toreros record. He made 29 appearances on the year.

3. New Mexico Lobos

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Automatic bid – won Mountain West Tournament

2012 record: 18-6, 36-22 (tied for first in Mountain West)

Head coach: Ray Birmingham (New Mexico State, 1978)

Record at school: 165-130, 5 years

Overall record: 983-458-2, 25 years

Assistant coaches: Ken Jacome, Dave Martinez, Ryan Barba

Team offense: .333 BA, 461 R, 44 HR, .482 SLG%, .397 OB%, 59-77 SB

Team pitching: 4.38 ERA, 515.2 IP, 570 H, 188 BB, 450 K

Top hitters: D.J. Peterson (.418/16/76/21 2B), Mitchell Garver (.391/10/57/27 2B), Ryan Padilla (.368/5/48/19 2B), Josh Melendez (.356/3/43/22-23 SB), Ben Woodchick (.343/0/30/10-10 SB), Trey Porras (.331/1/34), Kyle Stiner (.314/1/36/12 2B)

Top pitchers: Hobie McClain (2-1, 1.95, 2 SV, 27.2 IP, 23 H, 8 BB, 20 K), Gera Sanchez (8-2, 2.45, 3 SV, 73.1 IP, 54 H, 22 BB, 89 K), Austin House (7-5, 2.92, 104.2 IP, 97 H, 34 BB, 86 K), Josh Walker (8-2, 3.81, 1 SV, 78 IP, 99 H, 13 BB, 64 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2011 (0-2 at Tempe Regional)

Notes: UNM is on a nine-game win streak. The Lobos won the MWC tourney for the second straight year. UNM is making its third straight NCAA tourney appearance after not earning a bid since 1962. Sophomore third baseman D.J. Peterson is one of 30 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award. He was co-Player of the Year in the Mountain West, while Ray Birmingham was named Coach of the Year. The Lobos are 30-0 when leading after six innings and have outscored their opponents 64-20 in the seventh. UNM is batting .681 (126 for 185) with a runner on third and less than two outs.

4. Creighton Bluejays

Omaha, Nebraska

Automatic bid – won Missouri Valley Conference Tournament

2012 record: 6-14, 26-28 (eighth in MVC)

Head coach: Ed Servais (Wisconsin-La Crosse, 1981)

Record at school: 325-193, 9 years

Overall record: 507-275-1, 18 years

Assistant coaches: Rob Smith, Craig Moore, Jon Moore

Team offense: .248 BA, 247 R, 15 HR, .340 SLG%, .339 OB%, 46-69 SB

Team pitching: 3.42 ERA, 484.2 IP, 440 H, 155 BB, 326 K

Top hitters: Nick Judkins (.308/1/30), Chance Ross (.296/3/31/11 2B/14-19 SB), Anthony Bemboom (.255/1/33/15 2B), Brad McKewon (.255/1/18), Mike Gerber (.247/4/35)

Top Pitchers: Chase Webb (1-0, 2.51, 43 IP, 28 H, 20 BB, 37 K), Mark Winkelman (2-1, 2.53, 46.1 IP, 40 H, 17 BB, 27 K), Andrew Urban (1-1, 2.53, 32 IP, 34 H, 11 BB, 5 K), Ty Blach (6-5, 2.64, 112.1 IP, 87 H, 28 BB, 77 K), Reese McGraw (4-6, 4.07, 4 SV, 42 IP, 41 H, 12 BB, 38 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2011 (1-2 at Corvallis Regional)

Notes: The Bluejays, from Omaha, are back on the Road to Omaha for the second straight year. Creighton won the MVC tourney as the No. 8 seed. Ty Blach pitched a one-hit shutout against top-seeded Indiana State on the tourney’s first day. Coach Ed Servais, who spent two years as an assistant at Iowa State before arriving at Creighton, is the uncle of former major leaguer Scott Servais. The Bluejays are making their 10th trip to the NCAA tournament. Creighton reached the College World Series in 1991. The Bluejays won the West I Regional in Los Angeles as the No. 4 seed, defeating No. 3 Pepperdine, No. 5 Minnesota, No. 1 USC in 10 innings and No. 2 Hawaii. Creighton defeated Clemson and Long Beach State in the College World Series, but loss twice to Wichita State.