2013 Charlottesville Super Regional

(capsules compiled by Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton, Zachary Kerr)

6. Virginia Cavaliers

Charlottesville, Virginia

At-large bid from ACC, won Charlottesville Regional

2013 record: 22-8, 50-10 (second in Coastal Division)

Head coach: Brian O’Connor (Creighton, 1993)

Record at school: 461-159-2, 10 years

Overall record: Same

Assistant coaches: Kevin McMullan, Karl Kuhn, Matt Kirby

Team offense: .313 BA, 478 R, 41 HR, .465 SLG%, .410 OBP%, 64-87 SB

Team pitching: 3.05 ERA, 539.2 IP, 499 H, 139 BB, 483 K

Top hitters: Mike Papi (.393/6/55/.527 OBP), Branden Cogswell (.346/0/22/12-17 SB), Derek Fisher (.306/7/47/8-11 SB), Joe McCarthy (.333/4/50/11-12 SB), Brandon Downes (.318/9/58/139 TB)

Top pitchers: Scott Silverstein (10-1, 2.86 ERA, 88 IP, 86 H, 25 BB, 69 K), Josh Sborz (3-0, 2 SV, 1.84 ERA, 49 IP, 34 H, 11 BB, 46 K), Whit Mayberry (4-0, 2 SV, 2.45 ERA, 51.1 IP, 44 H, 9 BB, 34 K), Kyle Crockett (4-1, 12 SV, 1.68 ERA, 53.2 IP, 39 H, 6 BB, 68 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2012 (1-2 at Charlottesville Regional)

Notes: Virginia qualified for a super regional for the fourth time, all in the last five years. This year, the Cavaliers pitched their way to a sweep of the Charlottesville Regional, defeating four-seed Army (2-1), three-seed Elon (2-0), and Elon again (11-3). Wahoo pitchers had a 1.33 ERA in the regional. The only super regional Virginia has qualified for but not hosted was in the 2009 Oxford Regional (Ole Miss). The only super regional Virginia lost was in 2010 against Oklahoma. The Cavaliers have never faced their opponent in the Charlottesville Super Regional, Mississippi State. Virginia was in a regional for the 10th straight year and hosting for the fourth straight year, extending the longest such streaks in school history. Head coach Brian O’Connor pitched on the 1991 College World Series team at Creighton and has led the Cavaliers to Omaha in 2009 and 2011. He was named 2013 ACC Coach of the Year. The Cavaliers tied their school record of 45 regular-season wins, set in the 2006 season and matched in 2011. Virginia had the most players on the 2013 All-ACC Team with six, including outfielder Mike Papi, who led the nation with a .546 regular-season on-base percentage. Wahoo pitchers allowed the fewest walks in the ACC this year, 128, and the fifth-fewest per nine innings nationally, 2.39. ACC Freshman of the Year Joe McCarthy reached base in his first 36 games, the longest ACC streak this season.

1. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Starkville, Mississippi

At-large bid from SEC, won Starkville Regional

2013 record: 16-14, 46-18 (third in SEC West)

Head coach: John Cohen (Mississippi State, 1990)

Record at school: 172-129, 5 years

Overall record: 493-325-1, 14 years

Assistant coaches: Butch Thompson, Nick Mingione, Tyler Bratton

Team offense: .293 BA, 382 R, 28 HR, .387 SLG%, .385 OB%, 56-75 SB

Team pitching: 2.73 ERA, 580.1 IP, 468 H, 215 BB, 534 K

Top hitters: Hunter Renfroe (.352/15/58/15 2B), Adam Frazier (.344/9/33/17 2B), Alex Detz (.330/1/31/13 2B), Brett Pirtle (.310/2/31/9-9 SB)

Top pitchers: Chad Girodo (7-1, 1.10, 41 IP, 32 H, 14 BB, 53 K), Jonathan Holder (2-0, 1.17, 17 SV, 46 IP, 23 H, 14 BB, 81 K), Ross Mitchell (12-0, 1.41, 83 IP, 61 H, 23 BB, 43 K), Kendall Graveman (6-5, 2.94, 98 IP, 96 H, 25 BB, 62 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2012 (1-2 at Tallahassee Regional)

Notes: MSU is in a Super Regional for the second time in the past three years and fifth time overall. The Bulldogs have played Super Regionals in five different states: 0-2 in Clemson, S.C., in 2000, 0-2 in Fullerton, Calif., in 2001, 2-0 hosting Clemson in 2007 and 1-2 in Gainesville, Fla., in 2011. MSU is making its first trip to the state of Virginia. The Bulldogs hosted a regional for the 12th time and the first since 2003. MSU reached the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, falling to Vanderbilt. The bullpen had thrown 44.0 consecutive scoreless innings in Hoover, going back to last year, before the Commodores snapped the streak. The Bulldogs won the SEC tourney a year ago. MSU is fourth in the nation with 69 double plays. The pitching staff is 10th in the country in strikeouts per nine innings (8.3), 11th in hits per nine innings (7.26), 11th in ERA (2.73) and 14th in WHIP (1.18). Ross Mitchell is sixth in the nation with 12 victories and Jonathan Holder is sixth with 17 saves. Brett Pirtle has reached base in 37 straight games. The Bulldogs have reached the College World Series eight times, the last in 2007. 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.