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2014 College World Series
Championship Series Capsules
3.
Virginia Cavaliers
Charlottesville,
Virginia
At-large bid from ACC,
won Charlottesville Regional, won Charlottesville Super Regional
2014 record: 22-8,
52-14 (second in Coastal Division)
Head coach: Brian
O’Connor (Creighton, 1993)
Record at school: 513-175-2,
11 years
Overall record: Same
Assistant coaches: Kevin
McMullan, Karl Kuhn, Matt Kirby
Team offense: .279
BA, 361 R, 33 HR, .378 SLG%, .376 OBP%, 64-84 SB, .982 FLD%
Team pitching:
2.21 ERA, 599 IP, 425 H, 185 BB, 538 K, .201 OBA
Top hitters: John
LaPrise (.354/1/15), Mike Papi (.312/11/56/11 2B), Branden
Cogswell (.297/0/22/11 2B), Joe McCarthy (.297/6/48/15 2B/11-12
SB), Robbie Coman (.280/1/15), Kenny Towns (.276/2/33/14 2B),
Derek Fisher (.267/3/26), Nick Howard (.261/1/20), Daniel Pinero
(.260/0/20), Nate Irving (.242/1/17), Brandon Downes
(.233/7/37/10 2B)
Top pitchers: Alec
Bettinger (6-0, 1.23 ERA, 36.2 IP, 24 H, 15 BB, 32 K), Artie
Lewicki (8-1, 1.44 ERA, 1 SV, 62.2 IP, 33 H, 11 BB, 52 K), Whit
Mayberry (6-1, 1.53 ERA, 2 SV, 53 IP, 35 H, 12 BB, 57 K), Nathan
Kirby (9-2, 1.70 ERA, 111 IP, 66 H, 28 BB, 108 K), Nick Howard
(2-1, 1.77 ERA, 20 SV, 35.2 IP, 22 H, 13 BB, 58 K), Brandon
Waddell (9-3, 2.57 ERA, 105 IP, 93 IP, 16 BB, 68 K), Josh Sborz
(6-4, 2.84 ERA, 76 IP, 55 H, 42 BB, 71 K)
Last NCAA
appearance: 2013
(3-0 at Charlottesville Regional, 0-2 at Charlottesville Super
Regional)
Notes: Virginia
is in the CWS Championship Series for the first time and is
seeking its first national championship in baseball. The
Cavaliers are 8-1 in the NCAA Tournament, going 3-0 in Regionals,
2-1 in Super Regionals and 3-0 in Omaha. This is Virginia's
third appearance in the College World Series. The Cavs went 1-2
in 2009 and 2-2 in 2011. Virginia is in its 11th straight NCAA
tournament under coach Brian O’Connor, who pitched on the 1991
College World Series team at Creighton. Assistants Kevin
McMullan and Karl Kuhn have been with O’Connor all 11 seasons,
as the Cavaliers have averaged 46 wins per season over that
time. He was named 2013 and 2014 ACC Coach of the Year. Virginia
has won 50 or more in four of the past five seasons. The
Cavaliers’ offense is capable but didn’t live up to expectations
after hitting .314 last year – it scored better than eight runs
a game last year and only 5.4 this year. The Virginia pitching
staff leads the country in ERA at 2.21, slightly ahead of TCU at
2.22, Cal State Fullerton at 2.24 and Texas at 2.25. Sophomore
Nathan Kirby emerged as the ace the Cavaliers needed after
finishing with a 6.06 ERA last year. Opponents are hitting .174
off him this year after hitting .316 off him last year. Nick
Howard is one of the top two-way players in the country;
opponents hit .179 off him, and he is tied for third in the
country in saves.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Nashville, Tennessee
At-large bid from SEC,
won Nashville Regional, won Nashville Super Regional
2014 record: 17-13,
49-20 (third in Eastern Division)
Head coach: Tim
Corbin (Ohio Wesleyan, 1984)
Record at school: 515-249
(12 years)
Overall record: 621-387
(17 years)
Assistant coaches: Travis
Jewett, Scott Brown
Team offense: .281
BA, 389 R, 21 HR, .384 SLG%, .369 OBP%, 115-160 SB, .975 FLD%
Team pitching:
2.79 ERA, 612.2 IP, 453 H, 237 BB, 614 K, .207 OBA
Top hitters: Bryan
Reynolds (.341/4/53/24 2B/13-19 SB), Dansby Swanson
(.337/3/34/27 2B/20-25 SB), Vince Conde (.294/4/48/15-17 SB),
John Norwood (.288/2/29/11 2B/16-23 SB), Rhett Wiseman
(.283/0/29/11-16 SB), Zander Wiel (.270/5/43/14 2B/13-17 SB)
Top pitchers: Carson
Fulmer (7-1, 10 SV, 2.00 ERA, 85.2 IP, 58 H, 39 BB, 90 K),
Walker Buehler (12-2, 2.27 ERA, 99.1 IP, 77 H, 31 BB, 109 K),
Tyler Ferguson (8-4, 2.72 ERA, 76 IP, 54 H, 30 BB, 63 K), Tyler
Beede (8-7, 3.80 ERA, 106.2 IP, 82 H, 50 BB, 112 K), Brian
Miller (1-1, 1.93 ERA, 5 SV, 42 IP, 20 H, 8 BB, 37 K)
Last NCAA
appearance: 2013
(3-1 at Nashville Regional; 0-2 at Nashville Super Regional)
Notes: Vanderbilt
is looking for its first national championship in a men's sport.
Vanderbilt is in the College World Series for the second time.
The Commodores went 2-2 in Omaha in 2011. Vandy is 8-2 in the
NCAA Tournament, going 3-0 in Regionals, 2-1 in Super Regionals
and 3-1 in the CWS. The Commodores fell short of the College
World Series a season ago after losing in two games to
Louisville in a home Super Regional. Vanderbilt has 12 NCAA
Regional appearances, including a streak of nine straight
including this season. Vanderbilt is known for its pitching
staff, which includes front-line starters Tyler Beede and Carson
Fulmer. Beede was the 14th overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft by
the San Francisco Giants, despite some head-scratching stats
this season that include a .500 record. He was also a
first-round pick out of high school. Fulmer has been phenomenal
in the starting rotation after moving in from the bullpen.
Fulmer and Dansby Swanson have been added to Team USA's
Collegiate National Team roster. Slick-fielding shortstop Vince
Conde has only four errors this season.
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