2012 Waco Super Regional

Super Regional Notes

Super Regional Picks

NCAA Interactive Bracket

4. Baylor Bears

Waco, Texas

At-large bid from Big 12, won Waco Regional

2012 record: 20-4, 48-15 (first in Big 12)

Head coach: Steve Smith (Baylor, 1986)

Record at school: 667-430-1, 18 years

Overall record: Same

Assistant coaches: Mitch Thompson, Steve Johnigan, Trevor Mote

Team offense: .312 BA, 415 R, 43 HR, .445 SLG%, .408 OBP, 92-130 SB

Team pitching: 3.14 ERA, 554 IP, 494 H, 183 BB, 428 K

Top hitters: Josh Ludy (.368/15/69/15 2B), Logan Vick (.344/2/39/25 2B/17-26 SB), Dan Evatt (.340/8/30), Lawton Langford (.316/0/20), Max Muncy (.313/7/54/15 2B), Nathan Orf (.308/2/30/34 HBP/16-19 SB), Adam Toth (.297/1/18/17-19 SB), Cal Towey (.293/6/49), Jake Miller (.283/1/31/13 2B)

Top pitchers: Crayton Bare (2-0, 1.31, 2 SV, 20.2 IP, 13 H, 7 BB, 22 K), Josh Turley (9-1, 1.83, 103 IP, 90 H, 21 BB, 75 K), Dillon Newman (4-3, 2.25, 2 SV, 44 IP, 37 H, 11 BB, 43 K), Trent Blank (10-1, 2.32, 97 IP, 85 H, 24 BB, 56 K), Max Garner (3-2, 4.84, 10 SV, 44.2 IP, 43 H, 18 BB, 42 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2011 (2-2 at Houston Regional)

Notes: Baylor lost its opening Regional game to Oral Roberts and had to win four straight, including the final two over Dallas Baptist, to advance to the Super Regional. This will be the fourth trip to a Super Regional for the Bears and first since 2005, when they took two out of three at home from Clemson to advance to the College World Series. After going 4-1 during the Regional, the Bears are 33-4 at home, setting a school record for home wins. Dan Evatt went 3 for 4 with three runs in the last game against DBU. He was named Waco Regional Most Outstanding Player. Nathan Orf was hit by a pitch in the Regional finale to raise his season total to 34, a Big 12 record and one away from the Division I record. The Bears improved their batting average by 60 points and reduced their ERA by nearly a full run over 2011. Baylor won its first 18 Big 12 games and had a 23-game winning streak during the season. Leading the transformation was Big 12 POY Josh Ludy, who hit .336 with 34 RBI a year ago and went .368 with 69 RBI this year. Another key is that Baylor puts the ball in play and gets on base, ranking seventh in OBA. Logan Vick is a terrific athlete who set the school mark with walks a year ago and put together another fine season. On the mound, Josh Turley was 8-5 in his career before going 9-1 and nearly unhittable. Trent Blank was a part-time starter and was 8-4 before going 10-1 this year. Opponents hit less than .240 off each of them.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Fayetteville, Arkansas

At-large bid from SEC, won Houston Regional

2012 record: 16-14, 42-19 (second place in SEC West)

Head coach: Dave Van Horn (Arkansas, 1988)

Record at school: 401-220, 10 years

Overall record: 986-460, 24 years

Assistant coaches: Todd Butler, Dave Jorn, Clay Goodwin, Brian Walker

Team offense: .277 BA, 332 R, 38 HR, .396 SLG%, .361 OBP, 62-94 SB

Team pitching: 2.86 ERA, 551 IP, 469 H, 191 BB, 493 K

Top hitters: Matt Reynolds (.343/7/42/20 2B/15-20 SB), Tim Carver (.307/2/30/14 2B/14-24 SB), Dominic Ficociello (.300/6/37/45 R), Bo Bigham (.271/1/19/9 2B), Jimmy Bosco (.269/4/27), Derrick Bleeker (.262/6/23/10 2B), Sam Bates (.244/6/25), Jacob Morris (.236/3/23)

Top pitchers: Colby Suggs (6-0, 1.29, 35 IP, 25 H, 14 BB, 33 K), Cade Lynch (3-1, 2.11, 2 SV, 47 IP, 29 H, 17 BB, 46 K), Barrett Astin (3-5, 2.22, 10 SV, 52.2 IP, 42 H, 23 BB, 58 K), Nolan Sanburn (4-1, 2.58, 38.1 IP, 27 H, 19 BB, 46 K), Brandon Moore (5-2, 2.63, 68.1 IP, 62 H, 10 BB, 33 K), DJ Baxendale (7-4, 2.83, 92.1 IP, 84 H, 22 BB, 85 K), Ryne Stanek (7-4, 2.83, 82.2 IP, 70 H, 29 BB, 76 K), Randall Fant (2-2, 3.26, 47 IP, 53 H, 8 BB, 34 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2011 (2-2 at the Tempe Regional)

Notes: The Razorbacks are making their 25th NCAA Tournament appearance and 11th consecutive. Arkansas won all three of its games in the Houston Regional, allowing one earned run in 27 innings and five total runs. Arkansas twice has reached the College World Series (2004, 2009) during its streak of tournament bids. The Hogs are making their fifth trip to a Super Regional and third in the past four years. Arkansas went 2-0 at Florida State in 2009 and lost a pair of 12-inning games at Arizona State in 2010 in its past two Super Regional appearances. Matt Reynolds and Tim Carver, two of Arkansas’ top hitters, have seen dramatic improvements at the plate in 2012. Reynolds saw his batting average rise 100 points from .243 to .343 from 2011 to 2012, while Carver, who is on the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award given to the country’s top shortstop, improved from .232 to .307. Reynolds, a third baseman, was drafted in the second round of this year’s MLB Draft by the New York Mets. RHP Nolan Sanburn was also taken in the second round by Oakland.