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2015 Fullerton Regional
(capsules compiled by Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton,
Will Merritt, Jackson Proffitt, John Whittle)
1. Cal
State Fullerton Titans
Fullerton, California
Automatic bid – won Big
West Conference
2015 record:
19-5, 34-22 (first in Big West)
Head coach:
Rick Vanderhook (Trinity University, 2003)
Record at school:
155-77, five years
Overall record:
155-77, five years
Assistant coaches:
Jason Dietrich, Chad Baum, Ronnie Prettyman
Team offense:
.267 BA, 281 R, 18 HR, .360 SLG%, .366 OBP, 62-82 SB
Team pitching:
2.85 ERA, 502.2 IP, 477 H, 94 BB, 466 K, .249 BAA
Top hitters:
Josh Vargas (.355/0/14), Jerrod Bravo (.333/0/19), David Olmedo-Barrera
(.310/8/39), Tyler Stieb (.309/0/22), Josh Estill (.283/5/31),
Dustin Vaught (.270/0/13), Scott Hurst (.250/1/14)
Top pitchers:
Thomas Eshelman (8-5, 1.57 ERA, 114.1 IP, 86 H, 6 BB, 111 K),
Chad Hockin (0-0, 2.13 ERA, 12.2 IP, 15 H, 2 BB, 10 K), Miles
Chambers (4-3, 2.25 ERA, 56 IP, 52 BB, 12 BB, 47 K), Tyler
Peitzmeier (4-2, 16 SV, 2.44 ERA, 44.1 IP, 41 H, 8 BB, 48 K),
Justin Garza (4-3, 3.05 ERA, 65 IP, 73 H, 14 BB, 53 K), Connor
Seabold (4-3, 3.23 ERA, 55.2 IP, 52 H, 11 BB, 64 K), John Gavin
(7-2, 3.38 ERA, 80 IP, 71 H, 21 BB, 59 K)
Last NCAA Appearance:
2014 (1-2 at Stillwater Regional)
Notes:
The Titans have reached the NCAA Tournament in 37 of the past 41
seasons, including 24 straight. They closed the season on a
six-game winning streak and have won 11 of 13. Fullerton will be
hosting for the 12th time. The last time Arizona State and
Pepperdine came to Fullerton as the 2 and 4 seed was 2004, a
national title year for the Titans (one of four). The Titans can
flat out pitch – they rank 10th in ERA and are first in the
nation in WHIP and K/BB ratio. Thomas Eshelman will go down as
one of the most efficient pitchers in college baseball. For his
career, the junior has struck out 293 and walked 17. He was
named the Big West Pitcher of the Year. Tyler Peitzmeier ranks
second in the nation with 16 saves. Freshmen John Gavin and
Connor Seabold combined to win 11 games, boosting a rotation
that lost Justin Garza to an elbow injury. Junior Jake Jefferies
is the son of former Major Leaguer Gregg Jefferies, and junior
Tyler Stieb’s uncle is former big-league pitcher Dave Stieb.
2. Arizona State Sun Devils
Tempe, Arizona
At-large bid from Pac-12
Notes: ASU is making
its 15th straight appearance, save for the 2012 season when it
was ineligible, and it will be traveling to Fullerton for a
Regional for the fourth time in 15 seasons (2005 being the
last). The Sun Devils are led by former Indiana skipper Tracy
Smith, who guided the Hoosiers to the 2013 College World Series.
Arizona State turns to Ryan Kellogg and Brett Lilek on the
mound, who at times can be lights out with Lilek allowing a .218
average. Ryan Burr is the school’s all-time saves leader and has
13 this year to go with eight wins. Trever Allen leads the
offense with a .345 average and .505 slugging percentage. It’s
an offense that features nine players who bat better than .286.
Colby Woodmansee has some pop with 17 doubles and five homers.
3. Clemson Tigers
Clemson,
South Carolina
At-large bid
from Atlantic Coast Conference
2015
record: 32-27,
16-13
Head
coach: Jack
Leggett (Maine, 1976)
Record at
school:
954-480-1, 22 years
Overall
record: 1,326-778-1,
36 years
Assistant
coaches: Bradley
LeCroy, Dan Pepicelli
Team
offense: .287
BA, 374 R, 35 HR, .403 SLG%, .376 OBP%, 61-83 SB
Team
pitching:
3.91 ERA, 532.0 IP, 513 H, 193 BB, 485 K, BAA .249
Top
hitters: Reed
Rohlman (.370/3/57), Tyler Kreiger (.342/1/39), Chris Okey
(.320/12/55), Steven Duggar (.297/5/43)
Top
pitchers: Matthew
Crownover (10-2, 1.59 ERA, 102.0 IP, 67 H, 36 BB, 99 K), Zack
Erwin (7-4, 2.66 ERA, 101.1 IP, 100 H, 13 BB, 90 K), Jake Long
(2-1, 2.20 ERA, 49.0 IP, 35 H, 22 BB, 38 K), Taylor Vetzel (1-3,
2.82 ERA, 4 SV, 22.1 IP, 17 H, 9 BB, 25 K)
Last NCAA
appearance: 2014
(Lost in the Nashville Regional)
Notes: Clemson
was one of the last team’s in the field for the second straight
season but the Tigers have only missed the tournament once
(2008) in 22 years under head coach Jack Leggett. … Closer Drew
Moyer has been out since early in the season with an injury and
the role has been assumed most recently by Taylor Vetzel. …
Pitcher Clate Schmidt’s father, Dwight, is a Marine Colonel who
has done multiple extended tours of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Clate’s younger brother, Clarke, is a pitcher at South Carolina.
… Matthew Crownover is a semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes
Award and was also named the ACC Pitcher of the Year. … The
Tigers had six placed on All-ACC teams with Okey joining
Crownover on the first team, Reed Rohlman and Tyler Kreiger
second-team and Steven Duggar and Eli White selected as
third-team All-ACC members. Catcher Chris Okey’s father, Chuck,
played football at Presbyterian College and his mother, Kim, was
a cheerleader at Clemson. His grandfather was president of IPTAY,
the school’s athletics fundraising arm, at Clemson.
4. Pepperdine Waves
Mailbu, California
Automatic bid - won WCC title
Notes: The Waves
crashed the NCAA party for the 30th time after winning the West
Coast Conference tournament – they beat LMU in the final for the
second straight year. Pepperdine won its first conference
tourney game as Aaron Barnett’s two-run single capped an 8-7 win
over BYU. Matt Gelalich, whose brother Jeff starred at UCLA, can
do a little of everything for the Waves. Jackson McClelland,
Ryan Wilson and A.J. Puckett give Pepperdine three pitchers who
have logged more than 90 innings. Closer Max Gamboa allows
hitters a .207 average. Coach Steve Rodriguez played on
Pepperdine’s 1992 national championship team and reached the big
leagues with Boston and Detroit in 1995.
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