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2015 Lake Elsinore Regional

(capsules compiled by Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton, Will Merritt, Jackson Proffitt, John Whittle)

1. UC Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

At-large bid from Big West

2015 record: 16-8, 40-15-1 (second)

Head coach: Andrew Checketts (Oregon State, 1998)

Record at school: 137-85-2, four years

Overall record: same

Assistant coaches: Neil Walton, Eddie Cornejo, Matt Harvey

Team offense: .291 BA, 302 R, 17 HR, .378 SLG%, .375 OB%, 63-96 SB

Team pitching: 2.39 ERA, 515.0 IP, 441 H, 139 BB, 458 K

Top hitters: Cameron Newell (.380/3/31), Robby Nesovic (.344/0/39), Andrew Calica (.315/1/18/14-18 SB), Luke Swenson (.307/0/29), Peter Maris (.300/2/24), Woody Woodward (.295/0/12)

Top pitchers: Dillon Tate (8-4, 2.08 ERA, 95.1 IP, 60 H, 27 BB, 100 K), Shane Bieber (8-4, 2.26 ERA, 111.1 IP, 110 H, 9 BB, 95 K), Justin Jacome (7-4, 2.53 ERA, 110.1 IP, 102 H, 24 BB, 91 K), Robby Nesovic (1-0, 2.70 ERA, 6 SV, 20.0 IP, 17 H, 10 BB, 13 K)

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

Notes: UCSB is hosting a Regional for the first time. The games will be played at the home of the Lake Elsinore Storm, a Class A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Gauchos are 7-19 all-time in postseason play. The Gauchos set a program record with 40 victories this season. UCSB is third in the nation in team ERA at 2.39. The Gauchos enter the NCAA Tournament on a two-game losing streak and are 6-4 in their past 10 games. Dillon Tate is one of college baseball's best pitchers and likely will be one of the first players chosen in this year's Major League Draft. Freshman Kyle Plantier is the nephew of former major leaguer Phil Plantier. UCSB originally was known as the Roadrunners, but changed its name to Gauchos in 1934.

2 USC Trojans

Los Angeles, California

At-large bid from Pac-12

2015 record: 18-12, 37-19 (tied for third)

Head coach: Dan Hubbs (USC, 1993)

Record at school: 86-79 (three years)

Overall record: same

Assistant coaches: Gabe Alvarez, Matt Curtis, Chris Duffy

Team offense: .294 BA, 342 R, 33 HR, .410 SLG%, .373 OBP, 93-125 SB

Team pitching: 3.45 ERA, 516.1 IP, 498 H, 226 BB, 435 K

Top hitters: Bobby Stahel (.379/4/31/11 2B), Garrett Stubbs (.330/1/22/19-26 SB), Dante Flores (.315/5/41), Timmy Robinson (.298/6/50/19-26 SB), Blake Lacey (.297/0/34/13 2B), Jeremy Martinez (.290/1/35/11 2B), AJ Ramirez (.268/8/39/14 2B)

Top pitchers: Marc Huberman (6-4, 2.37 ERA, 4 SV, 49.1 IP, 37 H 32 BB, 48 K), Brooks Kriske (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 29.1 IP, 26 H, 13 BB, 26 K), Kyle Twomey (7-2, 2.81 ERA, 86.1 IP, 80 H, 35 BB, 65 K), Tyler Gilbert (4-2, 2.97 ERA, 63.2 IP, 66 H, 25 BB, 62 K), Kyle Davis (3-2, 4.23 ERA, 6 SV, 44.2 IP, 51 H, 16 BB, 43 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2005 (3-1 at Long Beach Regional, 1-2 at Corvallis Super Regional)

Notes: The Trojans are making their first NCAA tourney appearance in 10 years. USC has 12 national titles, the highest total in NCAA Division I history. The Trojans' last championship came in 1998 and last trip to Omaha was in 2001. USC is 208-77 in postseason games and 74-26 in College World Series contests. USC took two of three from Arizona State to finish the regular season. Senior catcher Garrett Stubbs is the first Trojan to be named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.

3. Virginia Cavaliers

Charlottesville, Virginia

2015 record: 34-21, 15-17 (second in Coastal Division)

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

Record at school: 539-198-2, 12 years

Overall record: same

Assistant coaches: Kevin McMullan, Karl Kuhn, Matt Kirby, Kevin Arico

Team offense: .275 BA, 300 R, 31 HR, .381 SLG%, .335 OBP%, 37-59 SB

Team pitching: 3.60 ERA, 505 IP, 448 H, 241 BB, 485 K

Top hitters: Matt Thaiss (.324), Daniel Pinero (.311), Robbie Coman (.309), Pavin Smith (.308), Kenny Towns (.308), Adam Haseley (.258), Ernie Clement (.24)

Top pitchers: Nathan Kirby (5-2, 2.28 ERA, 51.1 IP, 50 H, 30 BB, 75 K), Connor Jones (5-2, 3.05 ERA, 88.2 IP, 73 H, 41 BB, 97 K), Brandon Waddell (3-5, 4.52 ERA, 75.2 IP, 88 H, 37 BB, 69 K), Derek Casey (4-1, 3.06 ERA, 32.1 IP, 27 H, 13 BB, 27 K), Josh Sborz (3-2, 2.17 ERA, 12 SV, 54 IP, 32 H, 20 BB, 46 K), Kevin Doherty (3-1, 3.29 IP, 41 IP, 25 H, 8 BB, 34 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2014 (3-0 at Charlottesville Regional, 2-1 at Charlottesville Super Regional, 4-2 College World Series)

Notes: Virginia is in a Regional for the 12th straight year under coach Brian O'Connor, extending the longest such streak in school history. O’Connor pitched on the 1991 College World Series team at Creighton and has led the Cavaliers to Omaha in 2009, 2011 and 2014. He is the winningest active head coach (.743). Last year, Virginia made their third appearance in program history in the College World Series and their first appearance in the CWS finals. The Cavaliers defeated Ole Miss twice and TCU before falling to Vanderbilt in the finals. All-American Nathan Kirby finished the 2014 season with a 2.06 ERA and allowed one run, one hit and three walks in seven innings in the College World Series game against Ole Miss. This season, Kirby ranks sixth in the ACC with a 2.28 ERA and 10th in strikeouts with 75. He has been injured for the past few weeks and is questionable to return in the Regional. Virginia entered the 2015 season having won 50 or more games in four of the past five seasons and has the most wins of any division I team in the nation with 332 victories since 2009. Virginia began the season with a 10-game win streak. Josh Sborz took over the closer role this season and recorded 12 saves and held opponents to a .172 batting average. With the Virginia lineup plagued by injuries, Sborz made two starts in the regular season and allowed three runs in 13 innings. Virginia is 24-1 on the season when leading after three innings.

4. San Diego State

San Diego, California

Automatic bid - Mountain West Conference champions

2015 record: 19-10, 40-21 (second in MWC)

Head Coach: Mark Martinez (Mesa State 1984)

Record at School: 40-21, one year

Overall Record: same

Assistant Coaches: John Pawlowski, Joe Oliveira, Brandon Pullen

Team offense: .292 BA, 388 R, 46 HR, 52-90 SB

Team pitching: 4.07 ERA, 555.2 IP, 570 H, 204 BB, 490 K, .269 oba

Top hitters: Ty France (.346/4/48/14 2B), Steven Pallares (.341/8/47/17 2B), Spencer Thornton (.328/2/20), Chase Calabuig (.320/1/25), Danny Sheehan (.310/6/45/17 2B)

Top pitchers: Mark Seyler (9-2, 2.80 ERA, 99.2 IP, 81 H, 30 BB, 78 K), Bubba Derby (7-4, 3.35 ERA, 1 SV, 94.0 IP, 87 H, 33 BB, 122 K) Cody Thompson (4-4, 4.13 ERA, 80.2 IP, 83 H, 17 BB, 66 K), CJ Saylor (3-3, 4.86 ERA, 11 SV, 37.0 IP, 29 H, 21 BB, 42 K)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2014 (0-2 at Lafayette Regional)

Notes: San Diego State returns to the field after winning the Mountain West Conference tournament for the third straight year. The Aztecs also played in the Los Angeles Regional in 2013 and are in the field for the fourth time since 2009. SDSU enters the tourney having won 16 games against Top 100 RPI teams. Seba Zavala had a monster MWC tourney, going 10 for 23 with two doubles, five homers and 11 RBI in six games. He leads the team in slugging (.539). Steven Pallares has 45 walks/HBP, and leading-hitter Ty France has been hit 19 times. France has led the Aztecs in hitting the past two years (.356 last year, .346 this year). Junior ace Bubba Derby was a closer his freshman year and ranks sixth in the nation in strikeouts. Mark Seyler, who limits hitters to a .221 average, has won 17 games the past two years. Coach Mike Martinez was an assistant under Tony Gwynn for nine years and is in his first full year as head coach after Gwynn passed away in 2014. Assistant coach John Pawlowski previously was a head coach at the College of Charleston and Auburn.