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2014 Nashville Regional

(capsules compiled by Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton, Colin Graves, John Whittle, Matt Mullen)

1. Vanderbilt Commodores

Nashville, Tennessee

At-large bid from SEC

2014 record: 17-13, 41-18

Head coach: Tim Corbin (Ohio Wesleyan, 1984)

Record at school: 506-247 (12 years)

Overall record: 612-385 (17 years)

Assistant coaches: Travis Jewett, Scott Brown

Team offense: .278 BA, 326 R, 21 HR, .388 SLG%, .363 OBP%, 91-128 SB

Team pitching: 2.73 ERA, 523.1 IP, 390 H, 203 BB, 515 K

Top hitters: Dansby Swanson (.336/3/30), Bryan Reynolds (.323/4/44), Vince Conde (.306/4/43), Zander Wiel (.274/5/35)

Top pitchers: Carson Fulmer (5-1, 1.31 ERA, 61.2 IP, 38 H, 29 BB, 67 K), Walker Buehler (10-2, 2.30 ERA, 82 IP, 64 H, 28 BB, 89 K), Tyler Beede (7-7, 3.49 ERA, 90.1 IP, 70 H, 41 BB, 92 K), Brian Miller (1-1, 1.97 ERA, 5 SV, 32 IP, 20 H, 5 BB, 28 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2013 (3-1 at Nashville Regional; 0-2 at Nashville Super Regional)

Notes: 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. VU has made it to just one College World Series though, which came in 2011. The Commodores do boast a high RPI this season, ranking No. 8 and one of the final teams under consideration for a national seed. Vanderbilt is known for its pitching staff, which includes front-line starter Tyler Beede and Carson Fulmer. Beede will be a first-round draft pick next week, despite some head-scratching stats this season that include a .500 record and almost a walk per inning. Fulmer has been phenomenal in the starting rotation after moving in from the bullpen. Slick-fielding shortstop Vince Conde has only four errors this season.

2. Oregon Ducks

Eugene, Oregon

At-large bid from Pac-12

2014 record: 18-12, 42-18 (fourth in Pac-12)

Head Coach: George Horton (Cal State Fullerton, 1978)

Record at school: 180-125-1, six years

Overall record: 896-390-2, 23 years

Assistant Coaches: Jay Uhlman, Mark Wasikowski, Dean Stiles

Team offense: .259 BA, 335 R, 27 HR, .376 SLG%, .361 OBP%, 66-98 SB

Team pitching: 3.03 ERA, 540 IP, 451 H, 184 BB, 465 K

Top hitters: Mitchell Tolman (.315/2/46), Tyler Baumgartner (.287/2/40), Shaun Chase (.281/12/30), Aaron Payne (.258/2/16), Kyle Garlick (.256/4/36), Mark Karaviotis (.255/0/22), A.J. Balta (.235/3/28)

Top pitchers: Matt Krook (2-1, 1.79 ERA, 45.1 IP, 22 H, 19 BB, 60 K), Jake Reed (3-1, 2.08, 13 SV, 34.2 IP, 20 H, 15 BB, 32 K), Tommy Thorpe (10-4, 2.20 ERA, 98 IP, 74 H, 29 BB, 86 K), Jeff Gold (10-2, 3.14 ERA, 94.2 IP, 87 H, 8 BB, 59 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2013 (3-2 at Eugene Regional)

Notes: The Ducks are hosting for the third straight year and are in the field for the fourth time in six years since the program returned after being dormant since 1981. George Horton, who led Cal State Fullerton to six Omaha trips and the 2004 national title, is one of nine people to play and lead a team as head coach to the CWS. Oregon hit only .259 as a team but is scoring 5.5 runs a game, up from 4.9 a year ago. Close games continue to be the norm for the Ducks – 26 of their 60 games have been decided by two or fewer runs (they also played 26 last year). Freshman Austin Grebeck’s father is former Major Leaguer Craig Grebeck. Catcher Shaun Chase has provided plenty of pop, with 12 of the team’s 27 homers after hitting .207 with three homers in a platoon situation last year. Mitchell Tolman, a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American last year, enters the postseason hitting .315, just like last year.

3. Clemson Tigers

Clemson, South Carolina

At-large bid from ACC

2014 record: 15-14, 36-23 (third in Atlantic Division)

Head coach: Jack Leggett (Maine, 1976)

Record at school: 923-449-1, 21 years

Overall record: 1,300-739-1, 35 years

Assistant coaches: Dan Pepicelli, Bradley LeCroy, Stephen Faris

Team offense: .276 BA, 332 R, 27 HR, .382 SLG%, .354 OBP%, 89-117 SB

Team pitching: 3.69 ERA, 532 IP, 470 H, 233 BB, 476 K

Top hitters: Tyler Krieger (.330/2/32/19-24 SB), Steve Wilkerson (.318/5/39), Garrett Boulware

(.303/4/35), Jay Baum (.298/1/28), Steven Duggar (.296/1/35/25-27 SB), Tyler Slaton (.277/3/25)

Top pitchers: Matt Campbell (4-0, 0.87 ERA, 8 SV, 31 IP, 16 H, 15 BB, 42 K), Daniel Gossett (7-1, 1.78 ERA, 101.1 IP, 69 H, 30 BB, 102 K), Matthew Crownover (8-5, 2.26 ERA, 95.2 IP, 84 H, 19 BB, 83 K), Drew Moyer (5-1, 3.35 ERA, 37.2 IP, 37 H, 22 BB, 32 K), Clate Schmidt (5-7, 3.68 ERA, 66 IP, 65 H, 28 BB, 53 K), Zack Erwin (4-3, 3.86 ERA, 72.1 IP, 57 H, 27 BB, 61 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2013 (1-2 at Columbia Regional)

Notes: Clemson has reached the tournament for the 27th time in the past 28 years (2008 the exception), thanks in part to an 11-3 finish. Eight of the Tigers’ losses have come by one run. Coach Jack Leggett, who was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in 2014, was a captain of Maine's 1976 CWS team and played three years for the Black Bears football team. He won his 1,300rh game during the ACC Tournament against North Carolina. If the past is any indication, the Tigers might be destined for Omaha – since Leggett took over in 1994, every Tiger who has been on the postseason roster for four straight years has made at least one trip to the CWS (2010 was Clemson’s last trip). Junior Daniel Gossett is 16-5 over the past two years and has 191 Ks in 193.2 IP. Sophomore Matthew Crownover is 15-7 over the past two seasons who once struck out 176 during a single high school season. Steve Wilkerson is the Tigers’ first switch hitter since Patrick Boyd (1998-2001). The Tigers finished third in the Atlantic Division last year, too, when the offense hit .278 and scored 326 runs (.276 and 332 this year). They have been sent to the Columbia Regional the past two seasons.

4. Xavier Musketeers

Cincinnati, Ohio

Automatic bid – won Big East tournament

2014 record: 8-10, 29-27 (fourth)

Head coach: Scott Googins (Ohio Wesleyan, 1992)

Record at school: 259-260, 9 years

Overall record: same

Assistant coaches: Nick Otte, Billy O’Conner, Brad Gschwind

Team offense: .283 BA, 316 R, 33 HR, .390 SLG%, .363 OBP, 74-104 SB

Team pitching: 4.32 ERA, 504.1 IP, 472 H, 217 BB, 289 K

Top hitters: Derek Hasenbeck (.307/6/27), Daniel Rizzie (.301/4/33/15 2B), Joe Forney (.284/0/33/17 2B), Stephen Schoettmer (.281/5/24), Brian Bruening (.274/1/27/11-17 SB), Vinny Nittoli (.273/4/19)

Top pitchers: Vinny Nittoli (6-3, 1.98 ERA, 82 IP, 67 H, 19 BB, 63 K), Scott Klever (6-6, 4.03 ERA, 98.1 IP, 89 H, 30 BB, 43 K), Brad Kirschner (1-2, 6 SV, 4.21 ERA, 36.1 IP, 26 H, 19 BB, 32 K), Trent Astle (5-4, 1 SV, 4.26 ERA, 69.2 IP, 65 H, 20 BB, 22 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2009 (1-2 at Houston Regional)

Notes: Xavier is making its second NCAA tourney appearance. The 2009 squad won the Atlantic 10 title and was the No. 3 seed in the Houston Regional. Freshman Trent Astle pitched a three-hit shutout in a 4-0 win over Creighton in the Big East championship game. Mitch Elliott batted .444 (8 for 18) during the tournament was named Most Outstanding Player. Xavier has seven players from the Cincinnati area.