College Baseball 360 » 2013 College World Series

Special Moment Was “Bruin” For UCLA

Pete LaFleur — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 00:31:36 +0000

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This seemingly simple word was central to a common mantra from UCLA baseball head coach John Savage and his players during the various media sessions at the 2013 College World Series. Their sound bites may not have always been overly exciting, but they were grounded in fundamental concepts (for baseball & life): pitching, defense, situational hitting, role players, practice, hard work, focused improvement, and rising to the occasion.

photo of UCLA’s Nick Vander Tuig by Pete LaFleur/CB360

It was a 2013 College World Series where a lot happened (12 games, extended over an 11-day span). But, for many, it was a CWS where a lot did not happen … namely runs, home runs (you know, like in the “old days”).

At the end of the (11) day(s), UCLA clearly was a deserving NCAA champion. The Bruins won all 10 of their NCAA Tournament games: first in their home regional (5-3 vs. San Diego State, 6-4 vs. Cal Poly, and 6-0 vs. San Diego); then, in an impressive two games at national 5-seed Cal State Fullerton (5-3, 3-0); and finally during a 5-0 run at Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Stadium. The Bruins opened bracket play at the CWS with a pair of tense 2-1 wins (vs. national 4-seed LSU and surging NC State), followed by a 4-1 victory over North Carolina, the top-seeded team in all the land. The Championship Series vs. Mississippi State included yet another close score, with the Bruins winning 3-1, but UCLA closed out the title by leaving no doubt in the decisive second game, winning 8-0.

As the only 2012 CWS team that returned to Omaha in 2013, UCLA likely benefitted from the previous year’s experience as one of those final eight teams. Three of the 2012 CWS teams (Stony Brook, Kent State and ’12 champion Arizona) failed to even make the 2013 NCAA Tournament field, while Florida and Arkansas bowed out in the regional round, followed by Florida State and South Carolina in the super regionals.

We are in the process of compiling an assortment of CWS general wrapup notes (along with other reflections on the 2013 season), but here’s a look at some of the factors behind UCLA’s 2013 NCAA title-winning fortnight (roughly, rounding up!) in Omaha. We also have a nice collection of video interviews from the final few days in Omaha, to be posted soon (driving back to Colorado, but will check back later in the week–PL).

. . .

NCAA TITLE #109 (or #1?) – Baseball became the 19th different varsity program as UCLA to win an NCAA team title, extending UCLA’s total to 109 NCAA titles over the years (most by any Division I athletic department) … UCLA’s 109 NCAA team titles now include 72 in men’s sports (10 different programs) & 37 in women’s sports (8 programs) … UCLA’s 72 NCAA men’s titles include: 19–volleyball, 16–tennis, 11–basketball, 8–water polo, 8–outdoor track & field, 4–soccer, 2–golf, 2–gymnastics, .1–swimming & diving 1–baseball … UCLA’s 37 NCAA women’s titles: 11–softball, 7–water polo, 6–gymnastics, 4–volleyball, 3–golf, 3–outdoor track & field, 2–indoor track & field, 1–tennis … UCLA women’s soccer, led by new coach Amanda Cromwell (formerly at UCF), clearly now the most prominent Bruins program without an NCAA title.

PITCHERS (NEAR) PERFECT – UCLA’s pitching staff allowed one run in each of its first four games at the 2013 College World Series, followed by the shutout in the Championship Series game-2 win over Mississippi State t0 do deliver the NCAA title … the Bruins pitchers – led by 34 of 45 innings pitched by starters Adam Plutko, Nick Vander Tuig and Grant Watson – posted a 0.80 staff ERA at the CWS, while limiting the opposition to .175 batting (28 hits) and compiling a 3-1 K-to-walk ratio (27/9).

WORKING OUT OF TROUBLE – Despite allowing an average of nine baserunners per game at the 2013 CWS, the UCLA pitchers left baserunners stranded (or erased them) at an impressive rate throughout the five games … the opposition offenses (LSU, NC State, North Carolina, and Mississippi State) put 46 runners on base via hits (28), walks (9), hit batters (6) or errors (3), but only four came around to score – a lowly conversion ratio of one run every 11.5 baserunners (37 were left on base, four erased on double plays and one thrown out trying to score from second base on a single) … the UCLA opponents combined to hit 1-for-30 with runners in scoring position during the 2013 CWS, with the lone hit coming from NC State’s Trea Turner (RBI single in the 3rd, vs. Nick Vander Tuig) … opponents hit .129 overall with runners on-base vs. the Bruins (8-for-62), meaning that slightly more than half of those chances involved a runner on first but none in scoring position.

SITUATIONALLY SPEAKING: More situational/analysis stats for the UCLA pitchers during the 2013 College World Series
• 10-of-45 opposing leadoff batters (22.2%) reached vs. UCLA, but only two scored – NC State’s Bryan Adametz (hit-by-pitch in the 3rd) and UNC’s Cody Stubbs (single in the 9th)
• When UCLA pitchers retired the leadoff batter, they went on to not allow a run in that inning 33 of 35 times (94.3%)
• The Bruins closed out innings at a high rate, allowing only .104 opp. batting with 2-outs (5-for-48)
• As expected, the predominantly righthanded-pitching UCLA staff held the opposing RH hitters to a .141 batting avg. (10-for-71) at the CWS

STRONG AT THE START – UCLA did not allow any runs in the 1st or 2nd innings throughout the 2013 CWS (LSU scored in bottom of the 4th, NC State b-3rd, UNC t-9th, Mississippi State b-4th) … over the course of its five CWS games, the UCLA pitchers held the opposing hitters to a .118 batting avg. in the 1st-2nd innings (4-for-34; one double), with only one walk and eight strikeouts spanning those 10 total innings.

LIMITED ADVANCEMENT – The UCLA pitchers allowed only two extra-base hits throughout the entire 2013 CWS, spanning 45 innings … both of those hits came from LSU vs. Adam Plutko, on the opening weekend (an early double by Mark Laird and Mason Katz’s solo home run).

DYNAMIC DUO – UCLA’s pair of junior RHPs both went 2-0 at the 2013 CWS, with Adam Plutko beating LSU (2-1, opposite Tigers ace Aaron Nolan) and then defeating Mississippi State in the first title series game, while Nick Vander Tuig posted the winners-bracket win over NC State and the title-clinching victory over Mississippi State … Plutko posted a 1.38 ERA at the CWS, in 13 innings (2 runs, 8 hits/.167 opp. avg., 3 walks, hit batter, balk, 4 strikeouts and a fielding error) … Vander Tuig’s lowly 0.60 ERA at the CWS spanned 15 innings (2R–9H/.170–BB–HB–wild pitch–12K), capped by eight shutout innings in the final game vs. Miississippi State (5H–BB–6K).

CUPBOARD NOT BARE – While UCLA is likely to lose Adam Plutko and NickVander Tuig to the professional ranks, the team‘s third starter at the 2013 CWS, sophomore LHP Grant Watson, is set to return for 2014 … Watson (6IP–4H–BB–3K) picked up the win over North Carolina that sent the Bruins on to the CWS Championship Series … Weiss finished with a 3.01 ERA for the 2013 season (Vander Tuig led the starters at 2.16, while Plutko ended at 2.25) … talented freshman RHP Cody Poteet, UCLA’s #4 starter in 2013, also is due to return in 2014 (he did not pitch at the CWS) … two key relievers from UCLA’s 2013 CWS staff also are due to return: hard-throwing fr. RH setup man James Kaprielian (3 GP in Omaha, 3IP–BB–3K) and sophomore RH closer David Berg (5 GP at the 2013 CWS, 6.2IP–R–6H–3BB–5K), whose three saves in Omaha gave him an NCAA record 24 for the season … UCLA used six total pitchers at the 2013 CWS, with the other being yet another junior RHP (Zack Weiss) who could join Plutko and Vander Tuig in moving on to professional baseball (Vander Tuig was a a 6th-round pick of the S.F. Giants, Weiss also was tabbed in the 6th, b7 the Cincinnati Reds, and Plutko was an 11th-round selection of the Cleveland Indians).

WHATEVER IT TAKES – The UCLA offense hit only .227 at the 2013 College World Series (34 hits) but still managed to manufacture 19 runs, thanks to 22 free passes (16 walks plus six hit batters) while dropping down 12 sacrifice bunts, launching three sac. flies and executing 5-of-6 stolen-base attempts … when runners were on base, the Bruins batters hit .286, nearly 60 points higher than their overall CWS average … and in prime RBI chances, with a runner on third & fewer than two outs, UCLA produced the RBI 8 of 12 times (67%).

YOU NEVER KNOW – During a World Series in which he did a little bit of everything (including a running catch against the fence in gm-1 vs. Mississippi State), UCLA so. rightfielder/3-hole hitter Eric Filia even executed a suicide squeeze bunt for the first time all season, giving the Bruins a 2-0 lead on Mississippi State in the third inning of the title-clinching game (Pat Valaika followed moments later with an RBI single) … Filia led UCLA at the 2013 CWS with a .333 batting avg. (5-for-15; 2B) and eight RBI, also reaching twice on free passes (BB–HB), stealing a base and executing a pair of sacrifice bunts to go along with two sac. flies … Filia played a huge role in UCLA’s 8-run output that helped clinched the NCAA title, driving in five of those runs while batting 2-for-3 along with the safety squeeze and one of his sac. flies (one night earlier in the 3-1 win over the ‘Dogs, he went 2-for-3 with two other RBI and a double).

A CASE FOR THE DEFENSE – The final stats for the 2013 College World Series showed that the teams hit a combined .237 with a 2.54 combined ERA and a .975 fielding pct., but errors proved costly for several teams as the 27 total errors in the 14 games led to 16 of the 86 runs (19%) being unearned … UCLA certainly was the exception when it came to costly defense, as the Bruins did not allow an unearned run at the 2013 CWS while the UCLA position players had a lofty .989 fielding pct. in Omaha (the lone errors were by SS Pat Valaika in gm-1 vs. LSU & 1B Pat Gallagher in finale vs. Mississippi State; RHP Adam Plutko had the team’s third E the previous night) … by contrast, the runner-up Bulldogs totaled seven errors at the CWS, leading to five of 20 runs by the opposition being unearned.

DANCING TO HIS OWN BEAT – A couple of us in the pressbox at TD Ameritrade Park nicknamed UCLA senior second baseman Cody Regis the “Dancing Bear” on the second day of the 2013 CWS, after the veteran infielder turned a huge 9th-inning double play to help close out the 2-1 win over national 4-seed LSU … Regis (listed at 6-2/235, not a prototypical second baseman’s frame) took the feed from third baseman Kevin Kennedy and combined quick footwork with deft execution to complete the 5–4–3 DP … eight days later, Regis – a prep shortstop who has played mostly third base during his UCLA career – was part of another big late-inning double play, this time starting a 4-6-3 sequence to help close out the 3-1 win over Mississippi State (the “big-league” play saw Regis slide to his right for a sweeping, glove-to-glove scoop over to shortstop Pat Valaika) … Regis endured the disappointment of not being drafted as a junior in 2012 or this year, but he closed his career by playing error-free on 26 fielding chances at the CWS … at the plate, Regis went 2-for-4, scored twice and drove in another run in his final collegiate game (his hit-and-run single three days earlier gave UCLA an early lead in the win over UNC that sent the Bruins to the title series).

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Mississippi State CWS Video Interviews Recap

Pete LaFleur — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 03:11:50 +0000

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The Mississippi State baseball team has slipped out of the collective CWS consciousness over the past few days, not playing since its 5-4 win over Indiana on Monday, June 17. To reacquaint fans with the Bulldogs, College Baseball 360 has compiled this convenient page with 10 recent video interviews of Mississippi State – including three formal press conferences, along with seven individual interviews during extended postgame availability after the 5-4 wins over Oregon State and Indiana.

Each of these videos has been edited for quicker viewing, with questions omitted/shortened and other gaps deleted to speed the viewing. Enjoy. …

(1) Mississippi State coach John Cohen – Bracket 1 pre-CWS press conference (6/14/13), below

(2) Mississippi State press conference, after 5-4 win over Oregon State (6/15/13), below

(3) Mississippi State 1B Wes Rea, after 5-4 win over Oregon State (6/15/13), below

(4) Mississippi State closer Jonathan Holder, after 5-4 win over Oregon State (6/15/13), below

(5) Mississippi State SS Wes Rea, , after 5-4 win over Oregon State (6/15/13), below

(6) Mississippi State RHP Kendall Graveman, after 5-4 win over Oregon State (6/15/13), below

(7) Mississippi State press conference, after 5-4 win over Indiana (6/17/13), below

(8) Mississippi State DH Trey Porter, after 5-4 win over Indiana (6/17/13), below

(9) Mississippi State coach John Cohen, after 5-4 win over Indiana (6/17/13), below

(10) Mississippi State LHP Chad Girodo, after 5-4 win over Indiana (6/17/13), below

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CB360 College World Series Tournament Central

Pete LaFleur — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:21:42 +0000

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Here’s CB360’s preliminary 2013 College World Series Central Page, providing fans with quick access to plenty of information covering the upcoming fortnight (to steal a term from Wimbledon). Two weeks from now, the 2013 college baseball champion will have been determined (either on the night of Tuesday, June 25 or Wed. the 26th). This page will be expanded throughout the next two weeks, serving as our central gathering place for 2013 CWS information.

We have plenty of content forthcoming at CB360 in advance of the CWS and throughout the two weeks in Omaha – with on-site coverage, including video interviews with an assortment of CWS players and coaches, plus college baseball alums, fellow media & other experts, special guests and maybe even some classic college baseball fans along the way. …

The information below is broken down into four parts:
• Brief overview of the upcoming first weekend of the 2013 CWS, with full schedule for Friday’s practices, autograph sessions and Opening Ceremonies (all Friday events are open to the public), plus the four games spanning Saturday & Sunday (w/ links to live coverage, TV/audio/stats, plus team Twitter feeds)
• Quick-link breakdowns and team info. for all eight CWS teams (media guide, school CWS central pages, game notes, roster, stats, coaches bio, etc.)
• An assortment of helpful links for CWS fans (venue, transportation, parking, tickets, city of Omaha, visitor’s guide, etc.)
• Complete 13-day schedule for all events and potential games at the 2013 CWS (with dates, times, bracket links & TV coverage listed)

CLICK HERE for easy signup to receive free CWS text message updates directly to your mobile device, courtesy of CB360.

2013 CWS Brackets: Online (interactive; click center to expand) | Printable (PDF)
CLICK HERE for CB360 Super-Regional Central Wrapup page
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Team Capsule Previews (CB360): UCLA | Mississippi State | Oregon State
Bracket 2 Coaches Pre-CWS Press Conference (video editing by CB360)
Click Here for CB360 summary of the 2013 MLB draft picks on the 2013 CWS teams

2013 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES – Schedule & Results for June 15-18
* Scroll to bottom of page for entire CWS schedule (June 15-26) *

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(Day-1 & Day-2 Results)

Saturday, June 15 (day-1; home teams listed first)
• Game 1 – 2 p.m. CT, on ESPN 2 … online video | NCAA Live Blog
MISSISSIPPI STATE 5-8-2 … def. (3) OREGON STATE 4-10-1
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF | Miss.-St. Recap | OR-St. Recap | NCAA Recap & Summary
… Notes (NCAA) | Notes (Miss-St) | Quotes: Miss-St. & Ore.-St.
… Photos (Miss.-St.) | Video Recap (NCAA) | Video Highlights (Miss.-St.) | Postgame Video (Miss.-St.)
Live Stats: GameTracker, NeuLion or ESPN GameCast | OR-St Audio | Miss-St Audio
Twitter: @Beaver_Baseball … @MStateBB

* Scroll to bottom of page for entire CWS schedule (June 15-26) *

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• OREGON STATE (3-seed … 50-11, 24-6 Pac-12; 5-1 in 2013 NCAAs)
OR-St CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes: HTML & PDF | Roster | Stats | Coach Casey
OR-St Super-Reg. Central (scroll back) | OR-St Reg. Central (scroll back)
_________________________________________________________
• LSU (4-seed … 57-9, 23-7 SEC; 5-0 in 2013 NCAAs)
LSU CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes (PDF) | Roster | Stats | Coach Paul Mainieri
LSU Super-Reg. Central | LSU Reg. Central
__________________________________________________________
• LOUISVILLE (advanced at 2-seed Vanderbilt … 51-12, 20-14 Big East; 5-0 in 2013 NCAAs)
Cards CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes (PDF) | Roster | Stats | Coach Dan McDonnell
Vandy Super-Reg. Central | LOU Reg. Central (scroll back)
_________________________________________________________
• UCLA (advanced at 5-seed Cal State Fullerton … 44-17, 21-9 Pac-12; 5-0 in 2013 NCAAs)
Bruins CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes: HTML & PDF | Roster | Stats | Coach John Savage
CSF Super-Reg. Central | UCLA Reg. Central (scroll back)
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• MISSISSIPPI STATE (advanced at 6-seed Virginia … 48-18, 16-14 SEC; 5-1 in NCAAs)
‘Dogs CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes (PDF) | Roster | Stats | Coach John Cohen
UVa Super-Reg. Central | Miss-St Reg. Central
__________________________________________________________
• INDIANA (advanced at 7-seed Florida State … 48-14, 17-7 Big Ten; 5-0 in NCAAs)
Hoosiers CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes | Roster | Stats | Coach Tracy Smith
FSU Super-Reg. Central | IU Reg. Central (scroll back)
_________________________________________________________
• NORTH CAROLINA STATE (advanced past Rice, which earlier advanced at 8-seed Oregon … 49-14, 19-10 ACC; 5-0 in NCAAs
‘Pack CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes | Roster | Stats | Coach Elliott Avent
NC-St Super-Reg. Central (scroll back) | NC-St Reg. Central (scroll back)

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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES QUICK LINKS

2013 CWS Brackets: Online (interactive; click center to expand) | Printable (PDF)
2013 NCAA Tournament Brackets (field of 64, updated): Online (interactive) | Printable (PDF)
2013 NCAA Regional Brackets (from all 16 sites): PDF format (one file, 16 pages; scroll down)

• CWS Home Page
• CWS Fan Guide
• Fan Events
• CWS Mobile App

• TDA Ameritrade Park (guidlines & info.)
• Tickets & Hospitality info.
• Omaha Info . (parking & transportation)

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COMPLETE 2013 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE

2013 CWS Brackets: Online (interactive; click center to expand) | Printable (PDF)

Friday, June 14 – Team Practices, Autograph Sessions & Opening Ceremonies
• Hour-long practice sessions starting at 9 a.m. CT
(9-10 Oregon State … 10-11 Mississippi State … 11-12 Louisville … 12-1 Indiana … 1-2 North Carolina … 2-3 NC State … 3-4 LSU … 4-5 UCLA
• 30-minute autograph sessions
(10:30-11 Oregon State … 11:30-12 Mississippi State … 12:30-1 Louisville … 1:30-2 Indiana … 2:30-3 North Carolina … 3:30-4 NC State … 4:30-5 LSU … 5:30-6 UCLA)
• 8:30 – 10 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies

Saturday, June 15 (day-1; home teams listed first)
• Game 1 – 2 p.m. CT, on ESPN 2 … (3) OREGON STATE vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE

• Game 2 – 7 p.m. CT, on ESPN … LOUISVILLE vs. INDIANA

Sunday, June 16 (day-2; home teams listed first)
• Game 3 – 2 p.m. CT, on ESPN 2 … (1) NORTH CAROLINA vs. NORTH CAROLINA STATE

• Game 4 – 7 p.m. CT, on ESPN2 … (1) LSU vs. UCLA

Monday, June 17
Game 5 – 2 p.m. – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (ESPN2)
Game 6 – 7 p.m. – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (ESPN2)

Tuesday, June 18
Game 7 (2 p.m.) – Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser (ESPN)
Game 8 (7 p.m.) – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner (ESPN2)

Wednesday, June 19
Game 9 (7 p.m.) – Game 6 Loser vs. Game 5 Winner (ESPN)

Thursday, June 20
Game 10 (7 p.m.) – Game 8 Loser vs. Game 7 Winner (ESPN)

Friday, June 21
Game 11 (2 p.m.) – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner (ESPN)
Game 12 (7 p.m.) – Game 8 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner (ESPN)

Saturday, June 22
Game 13 (if necessary; 2 p.m.) – Game 11 Winner vs. Game 11 Loser (ESPN2)
Game 14 (if necessary; 7:30 p.m.) – Game 12 Winner vs. Game 12 Loser (ESPN)

Monday, June 24
CWS Championship Series Game 1 (7 p.m.) – Winner Game 11 or 13 vs. Winner Game 12 or 14 (ESPN)

Tuesday, June 25
CWS Championship Series Game 2 – 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Wednesday, June 26
CWS Championship Series Game 3 (if necessary) – 7 p.m. (ESPN)

all times central and subject to change; national seeds indicated in ( ): (1) UNC, (3) Oregon State & (4) LSU
all events and games listed above to be held at TD Ameritrade Park

2013 CWS Brackets: Online (interactive; click center to expand) | Printable (PDF)

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Oregon State CWS Capsule Preview

Pete LaFleur — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:47:26 +0000

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2013 CWS TEAM CAPSULE

By CB360 guest contributor Kevin Kennedy (additional content from Pete LaFleur)

Capsules for: Mississippi State & UCLA (others being added)

Oregon State Beavers
(won Corvallis Regional and Corvallis Super Regional)

Record: 50-11
Conference: 24-6 Pac-12 (first place)

Head Coach: Pat Casey (26th year, 19th at Oregon St.; 4th CWS Appearance, National Champs in ’06, ’07)

First Game in Omaha: Saturday June 15 vs. Mississippi State (2 CT; ESPN2)

Series: First Meeting

NCAA Tournament History: 14th appearance (5th CWS; NCAA champions in 2006 & ’07) `

Team National Statistical Ranks (offensive):
• 37th in bases on balls (254
• 59th in bating avg. (.290)
• 74th in runs per game (5.8)
• 74th in home runs (74)
• 79th in slugging pct. (.392)
• 164th in stolen bases (164)

Team National Statistical Ranks (pitching & defense):
• 2nd in staff ERA (2.27)
• 3rd in fewest hits allowed per 9 inn. (6.88)
• 3rd in low WHIP (1.07 walks+hits per 9)
• 5th in staff K-to-walk ratio (2.54)
• 20th in double plays turned (57)
• 21st in fewest walks allowed per 9 inn. (2.72)
• 47th in team fielding pct. (47)
• 53rd in low opponent on-base pct. (.378)
• 104th in strikeouts per 9 innings (6.9)

Top-50 Players Among NCAA Stat Leaders
position players
• Andy Peterson 12th in sacrifice bunts (18)
• Dylan Davis 18th in doubles (22)
• Dylan Davis 43rd in RBI (57)
• Michael Conforto 46th in home runs (11)

pitchers
• Matt Boyd 1st in games started (17)
• Andrew Moore 1st in victories (14-1)
• Andrew Moore 6th in low WHIP (0.87 walks+hits per 9 IP)
• Andrew Moore 9th in ERA (1.36)
• Matt Boyd 14th in strikeouts (110)
• Andrew Moore 33rd in games started (16)
• Scott Schultz 49th in saves (10)

2013 MLB Draft Picks (7)
LHP Ben Wetzler – 5th round (Phillies)
LHP Matt Boyd – 6th round (Blue Jays)
SS Tyler Smith – 8th round (Mariners)
1B Danny Hayes – 13th round (White Sox)
RHP Scott Schultz – 17th round (Mariners)
RHP Dan Child – 18th round (Phillies)
C Jake Rodriguez – 19th round (Astros)

ROAD to OMAHA: Oregon State has been near the top of the college baseball rankings since the first pitch of the 2013 season was thrown in February. The Beavers started the season 15-0 and entered Pac-12 play 16-1. Their early-season success included a four-game sweep of eventual Mountain West Tournament Champion San Diego State, a three-game sweep of 2013 Northeast Conference winner Bryant, and a split with San Francisco, another NCAA Tournament team.

The team’s success carried over to Pac-12 play, with the Beavers losing only one of 10 conference series (at Washington). Following the series defeat by Washington, Oregon State rattled off 12 wins in a row and finished the season winning 16 of their final 18 games, clinching the Pac-12 title on the season’s final weekend.

Oregon State won two-out-of-three against the three other Pac-12 teams that made the NCAA Tournament (Arizona State, at UCLA and at arch-rival Oregon). Other than the series at Washington the Beavers dropped only one other series all season (at San Diego, a 2013 NCAA participant and the West Coast Conference tournament champion). Awarded a home regional for only the second time since 2006, Oregon State was seeded third overall in the tournament.

The start of the 2013 NCAA Tournament proved to be a bit bumpy for Oregon State, which had a tough time in its first two postseason games. The Beavers rallied in their opener against Texas-San Antonio with two runs in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 walk-off win. They followed that up with another last at-bat win the next night against UC Santa Barbara (3-2) before finishing off the regional with a 6-1 victory over Texas A&M.

In last weekend’s Super Regional. Oregon State dropped the series opener to Kansas State, 6-2 in 10 innings, after the Wildcats tied the game in the 9th with a two-out rally. The Beavers bounced back, though, with a 12-4 blowout win in game-2 and then earned their berth in the College World Series by holding off KSU 4-3 in the third and deciding game. Oregon State ultimately was the only team in 2013 to lose the first game of its Super Regional series and rally back to advance to the CWS.

Oregon State is sending its season in Omaha for the fifth time overall and the first time since 2007, when the Beavers won the second of their back-to-back national titles. (1) North Carolina and (4) LSU are the only other top-8 national seeds that reached the 2013 CWS, while LSU and Oregon State are the only former NCAA champions among the eight-team field.

WILL the MAGIC RETURN, TOO? – Oregon Sate. is back in the CWS for the first time in six years, so does that mean the magic of the 2006 and 2007 title teams returns as well? Both Oregon State national championship squads (2006 & ’07) had some magic, albeit very different types during each season.

The 2006 Oregon State team lost its CWS opener before winning four straight elimination games to advance to the Championship Series. The Beavers then lost the finals opener to North Carolina before winning their fifth and sixth elimination games of the CWS to take home the program’s first national championship.

The following year, Oregon State barely made it into the 2007 tournament and then lost its second regional game, but the Beavers rallied out of the loser’s bracket and ultimately won five in row to make it back to Omaha. In the 2007 CWS, the team’s hot play continued as Oregon State went 5-0 at Rosenblatt Stadium and won another championship (beating UNC again in the finals).

From 2008-12, Oregon State advanced as far as the Super Regional only once (2011) before returning to the CWS this season, but Pat Casey’s teams have won 11 of their past 13 games in Omaha.

POWER of ARMS – The main reason that Oregon State dropped only two weekend series during the 2013 regular season was the Friday-Saturday-Sunday rotation of senior LHP Matt Boyd, freshman Andrew Moore and junior LHP Ben Wetzler. The trio has combined for a 33-4 record this season with an equally-impressive combined ERA of 1.85. The freshman Moore sports an ERA of 1.36 and a record of 14-1. The 14 wins are tied for most in the country. Wetzler is 9-1 with an 2.11 ERA while Boyd takes a 10-3 and 2.13 ERA into the 2013 CWS. Boyd, a converted reliever, closed Monday’s decisive Super-Regional game vs. Kansas State (started by Wetzler) and Moore is expected to start Oregon State’s CWS opener vs. Mississippi State.

In the Super-Regional series vs. Kansas State, Oregon State’s power trio combined to throw 24 of the 28 innings (including Boyd’s 1.1 relief innings that closed out game-3). Their combined ERA in those three games (2.63) is above their overall season mark but still commendable vs. the potent Kansas State bats and in a high-pressure atmosphere with the CWS bid on the line. Their combined stats over the 24 Super Regional innings included 19 hits and 14 walks allowed, with 23 strikeouts (led by Moore’s nine in gm-2).

The Beavers pitching staff also features a talented bullpen group at the end of games. The team’s top three relievers – freshman LHP Max Englebrekt (1.30 ERA), senior RHP Tony Bryant (1.76) and junior RHP Scott Schultz (2.03) – boast three of the four lowest ERAs on the team. The primary closer Schultz leads the team with 10 saves, although Englebrekt closed several games late in the season (he left gm-1 of the Super-Regional due to back spasms and did not return in gm-2 or gm-3).

RACKING UP the AWARDS – Oregon State won three of the Pac-12’s five-regular season awards, taking home player of the year, freshman of the year and coach of the year. Fellow CWS participant UCLA won the pitcher and defensive player of the year awards

The Beavers are led offensively by conference player of the year Michael Conforto, who started his college career in 2012 by earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. The sophomore leftfielder and 3-hole batter is hitting .320 (third on the team) with 45 RBI (second) and a team-high 11 home runs. Conforto is the first Oregon State player since 2006 to receive the Pac-12’s top offensive honor.

Freshman RHP Andrew Moore (14-1 1.36 ERA) was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year while Pat Casey was tabbed as the league’s top coach for the fifth time in his career.

Oregon State’s seven first team All-Pac 12 Conference selections for the 2013 season included each of the top-3 starting pitchers (sr. LHP Matt Boyd, Moore and junior LHP Ben Wetzler), along with Conforto, so. RHP Dylan Davis, senior CF Tyler Smith and jr. catcher Jake Rodriguez. Two others received Pac-12 honorable mention: junior RH closer Scott Schultz and junior 2B Andy Peterson.

• Roster Breakdown: 9 Seniors, 11 Juniors, 10 Sophomores and 5 Freshman

• Home States: California: 12 Oregon: 11, Washington 9, and one each from Hawaii, Utah and Wisconsin

PROBABLE LINEUP (* indicates team leader in category)

(1) SS Tyler Smith – bats: R, 6-0/194, Sr., Thousand Oaks, CA
First Team All Pac-12
.311 avg., 46 Runs*, 27 RBI, 2 HR, 2 Triples, 9 Doubles, .403 Slg %, 24 BB, 6 HBP, 34 Ks, 9-11 SB
–Selected by Seattle Mariners in 8th Round of 2013 MLB Draft

(2) 2B Andy Peterson – bats: R, 5-10/170, Jr., La Palma, CA
Pac-12 Honorable Mention
.329 avg., 45 Runs, 27 RBI, 0 HR, 0 Triples, 5 Doubles, .351 Slg %, 16 BB, 6 HBP, 37 Ks, 13-18 SB

(3) LF Michael Conforto – bats: L, 6-1/215, So., Woodinville, WA.
Pac-12 Player of the Year, First Team All American (Perfect Game)
.320 avg., 45 RBI, 46 Runs*, 11 HR*, 1 Triple, 10 Doubles, .515 Slg %, 39 BB*, 14 HBP*, 43 Ks*, 6-of-10 SB, .444 OBP*

(4) RF Dylan Davis – bats: R, 6-0/210, So., Redmond, WA
First Team All Pac-12
.343 avg.,* 58 RBI*, 44 Runs, 5 HR, 3 Triples*, 22 Doubles*, .521 Slg %*, 17 BB, 1 HBP, 32 Ks, 9-12 SB

(5) 1B Danny Hayes, 1B – bats: L, 6-4/209, Sr., Rancho Murieta, CA
.269 avg., 39 RBI, 36 Runs, 6 HR, 0 Triples, 13 Doubles, .423 Slg %, 34 BB, 3 HBP, 27 Ks, 2-2 SB
– Selected by Chicago White Sox in 13th Round of 2013 MLB Draft

(6) DH Ryan Barnes – Bats: R, 5-11/205, Sr., West Linn, OR
.299 avg., 24 RBI, 26 Runs, 2 HR, 1 Triple, 8 Doubles, .391 Slg %, 17 BB, 1 HBP, 16 Ks, 2-5 SB

(7) 3B Kavin Keyes, 3B – Bats: Switch, 5-11/200, Jr., Sandy, UT
.318 avg., 33 RBI, 18 Runs, 2 HR, 1 Triple, 12 Doubles, .421 Slg %, 18 BB, 7 HBP, 33 Ks, 3-3 SB

(8) C Jake Rodriguez – Bats: L, 5-9/200, Jr., Elk Grove, CA
First Team All Pac-12
.278 avg., 34 RBI, 24 Runs, 2 HR, 0 Triples, 10 Doubles, .367 Slg %, 33 BB, 5 HBP, 34 Ks, 2-of-4 SB
– Selected by Houston Astros in 19th Round of 2013 MLB Draft

(9) CF Max Gordon, CF – Bats: L, 5-8/170, Sr., Ashland, OR
.235 avg., 19 Runs, 5 RBI, 0 HR, 0 Triples, 1 Double, .243 Slg %, 18 BB, 8 HBP, 16 Ks 3-4 SB

Starting Rotation (* – team-leading total)

(1) LHP Matt Boyd – 6-3/217, Sr., Mercer Island, WA
First Team All Pac-12, Second Tem All-American (Perfect Game; second team AA from Collegiate Baseball magazine, third team from Baseball America)
10-3, 18 Appearances, 17 Starts*, 2.13 ERA, 122.2 IP*, 110 Ks*, 30 BB, .198 Opp Avg., 86 Hits
– Selected by Toronto Blue Jays in 6th Round of 2013 MLB Draft

(2) RHP Andrew Moore – 5-11/180, Fr., Eugene, OR
Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, First Team All-American (Baseball America, 2nd team AA from Collegiate Baseball magazine), NCBWA First Team Freshman All-American
14-1*, 17 Appearances, 16 Starts, 1.36 ERA, 119 IP, 70 Ks, 26 BB, .194 Opp Avg., 78 Hits

(3) LHP Ben Wetzler – 6-1/209, Jr., Clackamas, OR
First Team All Pac-12
9-1, 15 Appearances, 15 Starts, 2.11 ERA, 89.2 IP, 77 Ks, 30 BB, .231 Opp Avg., 75 Hits
– Selected by Philadelphia Phillies in 5th Round of 2013 MLB Draft

Bullpen

RHP Scott Schultz – 6-2/211, Jr., Harbor City, WA
Pac-12 Honorable Mention
2-1, 25 Appearances*, 10 Saves* 2.03 ERA, 40 IP, 32 Ks, 8 BB, .184 Opp Avg., 27 Hits
– Selected by Miami Marlins in 17th Round of 2013 MLB Draft

LHP Max Engelbrekt – 6-3/197, Fr., Seattle, WA
5-1, 22 Appearances, 5 Saves, 1.30 ERA*, 27.2 IP, 20 Ks, 10 BB, .212 Opp Avg., 21 Hits

RHP Tony Bryant – 6-7/221, Sr., Kennewick, WA
1-0, 21 Appearances, 1 Save, 1.76 ERA, 30.2 IP, 28 Ks, 14 BB, .146 Opp Avg., 15 Hits

QUOTEWORTHY …

”We’ve got an incredible team with incredible guys. Guys who know how to fight, guys who know how to put extra runs on when you’re already up … I think we’ve got the full package, if we do all the things right.”

– Oregon State OF Michael Conforto, after advancing to 2013 CWS with Super Regional series win over Kansas State

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2013 NCAA College Baseball Tournament Selection Process

Sean Stires — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:57:17 +0000

www.simplesharebuttons.com

A Look At How Selections Are Made & More…

Just five days remain until the selections are announced for this year’s NCAA Division One Baseball Tournament. We always receive questions about how selections are made and just how the whole process works.

The tournament starts in just over a week with a field of 64 and culminates with the College World Series in Omaha in June. With all that in mind, here’s a look at how selections will be made this weekend, who is on the selection committee and the formats for the Regional, Super Regional and CWS rounds of the NCAA baseball tournament.

64 teams will qualify for the NCAA Baseball Championship.
30 of the 64 teams that qualify for the tournament will receive automatic bids based on winning conference championships. Most of those automatic bids go to teams that win their conference tournaments.
The minimum requirement for at-large selection is an above .500 record against Division One competition.
The Big West and Pac-12 do not sponsor postseason tournaments, so their automatic bids go to the regular-season champion.
Since there are only 30 automatic bids, 34 at-large spots in the tournament are selected by the NCAA baseball committee.
The committee uses the Rating Percentage Index (RPI), a computer program that provides the committee with (1) the institution’s Division I winning percentage, (2) opponents’ success and (3) opponents’ strength of schedule. The RPI is an additional tool used in the evaluation of at-large teams. Please note that the adjusted RPI takes into account a bonus/penalty structure. Bonus and penalty values only will be used for non-conference games.
Regular-season conference standings and/or conference postseason competition shall be considered by the committee when selecting at-large teams.
The committee may consider comparing data of individual teams, including, but not limited to, overall record, Division I record, overall RPI rank, non-conference record and RPI rank, conference regular-season record and conference tournament results, road record and RPI, last 15 games’ record, its record against teams ranked 1-25, 26-50, 51-100, 101-150 and below 150 in the RPI, head-to-head record, common opponents’ record and input from regional advisory committees.

The same criteria is also used to determine seeding for Regionals and the top-eight national seeds. RPI was said to have been de-emphasized last year, but it is still a huge factor in the selection and seeding process.

The top-eight national seeds essentially are the eight teams that (at least in theory) should make it to the College World Series. Top-eight seeds are guaranteed they would not have to play each other until the CWS.

Regional host sites will be announced on Sunday, May 26, while the field of 64 will be announced on Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day). Selections will be televised on ESPNU.

Regionals

16 four-team Regional tournaments take place at different locations around the country.
Ordinarily, all Regional and Super Regional tournaments are located on or near the campus of one of the competing institutions; however, a Regional or Super Regional tournament may be scheduled at a neutral site provided advance approval is obtained from the Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet.
The committee shall attempt to place Regional tournaments so that maximum national balance can be obtained, preferably at least one Regional in each of the eight Division I baseball regions.
Except for the 16 No. 1 Regional seeds, the pairings for the Regionals, whenever possible, will be based on closest geographical location of the teams to the tournament sites. Teams may be moved outside their regions, if necessary, to balance the bracket, or if the proximity to an opponent outside the region would be comparable and a better competitive matchup would occur.
Two teams from the same conference cannot be placed in the same Regional.
Teams from the same conference that are seeded first in their respective Regional will be placed on the bracket to avoid potentially meeting in a Super Regional.
Typically, #1 seeds host Regionals, but it is possible for a #2 seed to host.
Teams are seeded 1-4 within each Regional, with the #1 seed playing the #4 seed and the #2 seed playing the #3 seed on the first day of the tournament.
The tournament is played out in a double-elimination format, with the winner advancing to one of eight Super Regionals.
As noted below, one change made a couple years back is that the potential game-7 of a Regional (i.e. both teams have one loss) is played on Monday, whereas it used to be played on Sunday night (barring weather rescheduling, there never will be more than two games played in one day at a Regional site).

Here’s the Regional format:

Day 1
Game 1 — No. 1 seed vs. No. 4
Game 2 — No. 2 vs. No. 3

Day 2
Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 4 — Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

Day 3
Game 5 — Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 6 — Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5

Day 4
Game 7 — If necessary, same teams as in Game 6

Super Regionals

Two teams will play a best 2-of-3 format to determine the Super Regional winner.
Super Regional competition takes place at on-campus sites or alternate sites that are approved by the baseball committee.
Consideration for hosting shall be given to the higher seed, including the eight national seeds, if a suitable hosting proposal has been received (e.g., meets financial guarantee and quality of facility criteria). If the higher seed has not submitted a proposal, the lower-seeded team will host if its proposal is acceptable.
If the Super Regional matchup is between equally-seeded teams, the committee shall review the hosting proposals according to the site selection criteria (e.g., quality and availability of the facility, revenue potential and other available accommodations) to determine the host. If only one of the teams has submitted a proposal, that team shall host if the proposal is acceptable.
Winners of the eight Super Regional tournaments will qualify for the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
The 2012 College World Series begins on Saturday, June 15.

Note: While the tournament starts with 16 #1 seeds, for the purposes of Super Regional pairings only the top-eight national seeds are taken into consideration. According to the NCAA, the other eight #1 Regional seeds all “become a nine seed” when it comes to pairing which Regionals will face off in the Super Regional round. Super Regional pairings are made based on geography rather than actual seed.

Here’s the Super Regional format:

Day 1: Game 1 — Team A vs. Team B
Day 2: Game 2 — Team A vs. Team B
Day 3: Game 3 — if necessary, Team A vs. Team B

College World Series

The eight winners of the Super Regional competitions will advance to the College World Series.
Two four-team brackets will play a double-elimination tournaments to determine the bracket champions (similar to the regional format). The winner of each of those brackets advances to the CWS Finals.
The CWS Finals is a best 2-of-3 format.