2014 Nashville Super Regional

Vanderbilt Commodores

Nashville, Tennessee

At-large bid from SEC, Won Nashville Regional

2014 record: 17-13, 44-18

Head coach: Tim Corbin (Ohio Wesleyan, 1984)

Record at school: 509-247 (12 years)

Overall record: 615-385 (17 years)

Assistant coaches: Travis Jewett, Scott Brown

Team offense: .280 BA, 347 R, 21 HR, .388 SLG%, .364 OBP%, 92-131 SB

Team pitching: 2.67 ERA, 550.1 IP, 403 H, 209 BB, 543 K

Top hitters: Dansby Swanson (.335/3/32/24 2B/17-22 SB), Bryan Reynolds (.326/4/49/23 2B/13-18 SB), Vince Conde (.301/4/44/10-12 SB), Xavier Turner (.284/2/33/15 2B/13-20 SB), John Norwood (.275/2/21/10 2B/11-17 SB), Zander Wiel (.270/5/38/12 2B/10-13 SB)

Top pitchers: Carson Fulmer (6-1, 10 SV, 1.42 ERA, 69.2 IP, 41 H, 31 BB, 72 K), Walker Buehler (12-2, 2.27 ERA, 91 IP, 70 H, 29 BB, 97 K), Tyler Ferguson (7-3, 2.60 ERA, 72.2 IP, 51 H, 25 BB, 56 K), Tyler Beede (8-7, 3.20 ERA, 98.1 IP, 74 H, 43 BB, 106 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: Vanderbilt went 3-0 to win the Nashville Regional and will host a Super Regional for the second straight year. 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, going 2-2 in 2011. The Commodores do boast a high RPI this season, ranking No. 5. Vanderbilt is known for its pitching staff, which includes front-line starter Tyler Beede and Carson Fulmer. Beede was the 14th overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, 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. The ‘Dores are second in the nation in hits per nine innings (6.59), seventh in WHIP (1.11), 16th in ERA (2.67) and 17th in strikeout/walk ratio (2.60). Slick-fielding shortstop Vince Conde has only four errors this season.

Stanford Cardinal

Stanford, California

At-large bid from the Pac-12, Won Bloomington Regional

2014 record: 16-14, 34-24 (tied for fifth in Pac-12)

Head Coach: Mark Marquess (Stanford, 1969)

Record at School: 1,529-805-7 (39 years)

Overall Record: 1,529-805-7 (39 years)

Assistant Coaches: Rusty Filter, Ryan Garko, Brock Ungricht

Team offense: .272 BA, 276 R, 35 HR, 33-53 SB

Team pitching: 3.46 ERA, 523 IP, 450 H, 247 BB, 350 K

Top hitters: Austin Slater (.352/2/40/17 2B), Zach Hoffpauir (.332/7/33), Alex Blandino (.312/12/42/13 2B), Danny Diekroeger (.307/2/22/13 2B), Brant Whiting (.280/1/21)

Top pitchers: AJ Vanegas (3-3, 2.33 ERA, 7 SV, 38.2 IP, 32 H, 14 BB, 28 K), John Hochstatter (10-2, 2.84 ERA, 79.1 IP, 59 H, 29 BB, 36 K), Cal Quantrill (7-5, 2.69 ERA, 103.2 IP, 84 H, 31 BB, 93 K), Brett Hanewich (4-4, 3.42 ERA, 71 IP, 72 H, 30 BB, 43 K), Logan James (3-3, 4.77 ERA, 60,1 IP, 49 H, 32 BB, 42 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2012 (3-0 at Stanford Regional; 0-2 at Tallahassee Super Regional)

Notes: Stanford was the No. 3 seed in the Bloomington Regional and pulled out a dramatic win in the championship game against top-seeded Indiana as Tommy Edman belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth in a 5-4 victory. The Cardinal has not been to the College World Series since 2008. Stanford was outscored 35-8 in the 2012 Tallahassee Super Regional. After a year out of the tourney, Stanford returned to the NCAA field, thanks in part to a strong finish – 19-6 down the stretch and series wins in its final four weekends. The Cardinal has made the field 29 times in the past 34 years under coach Mark Marquess, who reached win No. 1,500 against Cal on March 4 and won two national titles (1987, 1988). The Cardinal features Austin Slater, who has a 22-game hitting streak, and Alex Blandino, who has 12 of the team’s 35 homers. Blandino was the 29th overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He was the fourth different Cardinal selected in the first round over the past four years, including Mark Appel (2012, 2013), Stephen Piscotty (2011) and Chris Reed (2010). Opponents hit only .214 off ace John Hochstatter, who won 10 games after going 3-3 last year. Freshman Cal Quantrill was named a Freshman All-American. He won twice in the Bloomington Regional.