2012 Tallahassee Super Regional

Super Regional Notes

Super Regional Picks

NCAA Interactive Bracket

3. Florida State Seminoles

Tallahassee, Florida

At-large bid from ACC

2012 record: 24-6, 46-15 (first in Atlantic Division)

Head Coach: Mike Martin (Florida State, 1966)

Record at School: 1,719-592-4, 33 years

Overall Record: 1,719-592-4, 33 years

Assistant Coaches: Mike Bell, Mike Martin Jr., Matt Matulia

Team offense: .280 BA, 402 R, 38 HR, 61-84 SB

Team pitching: 3.52 ERA, 542.1 IP, 507 H, 207 BB, 450 K

Top hitters: James Ramsey (.385/13/55/10-14 SB), Jayce Boyd (.390/3/57/21 2B), Devon Travis (.310/5/34/22 2B), Sherman Johnson (.262/3/29/63 BB),

Top pitchers: Mike Compton (11-2, 2.78 ERA, 81 IP, 72 H, 26 BB, 57 K), Brandon Leibrandt (7-2, 2.65 ERA, 88.1 IP, 74 H, 25 BB, 74 K), Robert Benicasa (4-1, 1.36 ERA, 15 SV, 35 IP, 21 H, 5 BB, 48 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2011 (3-0 at Tallahassee Regional, 1-2 at Tallahassee Super Regional)

Notes: The Seminoles have reached the Super Regionals for the fifth consecutive year (losing to Texas A&M last year) and 12th overall. They swept the Tallahassee Regional with wins over UAB (once) and Samford (twice). They have had at least 40 wins and have played in the NCAA tournament for 35 straight years, spanning Mike Martin’s entire head coaching tenure, but have not yet won a national championship. Martin reached the historic milestone with an 8-4 victory over Georgia Tech on Sunday, April 8 in Atlanta. Florida State also became the fastest school in Division I history to win 2,600 games (ahead of California, Michigan, Stanford, Texas, Southern California, Fordham, Arizona, and Arizona State), as the Seminoles reached the mark in only their 65th year of college baseball. Florida State posted an ACC-record 24 conference wins this season. This season James Ramsey became the first Seminole to don a captain’s ‘C’ on his jersey. After being selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 22nd round last year, Ramsey was selected 23rd overall in the 2012 MLB Draft. Other Seminoles drafted in the 2012 MLB Draft include closer Robert Benicasa (7th round to Washington Nationals), Jayce Boyd (6th round to New York Mets), Devon Travis (13th round to Detroit Tigers), Sherman Johnson (14th round the Los Angeles Angels), and Hunter Scantling (14th round to Detroit Tigers). Brandon Leibrandt is the son of Charlie Leibrandt, former pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, and Texas Rangers.

Stanford Cardinal

Stanford, California

At-large bid from Pac-12, Won Stanford Regional

2012 Record: 18-12, 41-16 (tied for fourth in Pac-12)

Head Coach: Mark Marquess (Stanford, 1969)

Record at School: 1,463-757-7, 36 years

Overall Record: Same

Assistant Coaches: Dean Stotz, Rusty Filter

Team Offense: .290, 387 R, 46 HR, .429 SLG%, .373 OB%, 36-47 SB

Team Pitching: 3.22 ERA, 522 IP, 493 H, 187 BB, 403 K.

Top Hitters: Kenny Diekroeger (.269/2/27/16 2B), Eric Smith (.330/2/32), Stephen Piscotty (.318/5/55/12 2B), Brian Ragira (.324/5/50/15 2B), Austin Wilson (.283/9/46/11 2B), Alex Blandino (.295/8/39)

Top Pitchers: Stephen Piscotty (6-2, 3.05 ERA, 41.1 IP, 43 H, 9 BB, 20 K), Mark Appel (10-1, 2.27 ERA, 119 IP, 92 H, 26 BB 127 K), A.J. Vanegas (3-0, 5 SV , 2.38 ERA, 60. 1 IP, 53 H, 33 BB, 47 K) Brett Mooneyham (7-5, 4.05 ERA, 82.1 IP, 76 H, 37 BB, 90 K), Dean McArdle (3-3, 3.11 ERA, 46.1 IP, 45 H, 16 BB, 37 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2011 (3-0 at Fullerton Regional, 0-2 at Chapel Hill Super Regional)

Notes: Stanford has reached a Super Regional for the ninth time and for the second consecutive year. The Cardinal swept the Stanford Regional, defeating Fresno State once and Pepperdine twice. The Cardinal pitching staff is led by ace Mark Appel, who was drafted eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the lineup is full of solid all-round hitters like Stephen Piscotty (drafted 36th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals), Brian Ragira, and Kenny Diekroeger (drafted in 4th round, 133 overall by the Kansas City Royals). Appel has thrown five complete games this season and leads the team in innings pitched. No. 2 starter Brett Mooneyham has the ability to miss bats, as he has struck out 90 through 82.1 innings, but he has struggled at times with command (37 BB, 15 HBP).  The Cardinal do not steal often, but their biggest threat on the base-paths is Tyler Gaffney (7-10 SB), an outfielder who also plays football for the Cardinal. These two schools last met in an elimination game at the College World Series in 2008 with the Cardinal defeating the Seminoles 16-5. The all-time series is tied at 9-9, but the last time Stanford traveled to Tallahassee was back in 2002 when the Cardinal took two of three from Florida State.