College Baseball 360 » Chris Lemonis

Louisville Hosts As National Seed

Sean Stires — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:31:41 +0000

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Cards Must Overcome McDonnell’s Suspension

Collegebaseball360.com correspondent Chris Webb is at the Louisville Regional this weekend and he’ll be providing special coverage of the event for us. Webb’s coverage starts with a preview of the host Cardinals, who are a national seed (#7) for the first time in program history.

By Chris Webb

The #1 seeded Louisville Cardinals, who are hosting their own Midwest Regional for the second consecutive season, may have been dealt a serious blow in their quest for Omaha when head coach Dan McDonnell was suspended for three games after his ejection from Louisville’s final game in the Big East Tournament, a 5-3 loss to St. Johns.

Although the stout competition in this years regional tournament would cause great concern for many around the

Chris Lemonis will help run the Cardinals during Dan McDonnell's three game suspension.

nation, especially without a quality leader like McDonnell guiding the ship, the talent that comprises the Louisville roster will make the job of assistant coach Chris Lemonis a lot easier.

A trio of All-Americans will be on display this weekend for Louisville starting with third baseman Phil Wunderlich who headlines a lethal Cardinal attack.

Wunderlich, a Junior, leads Louisville with 20 home runs, while being tied for third on the team in average (.357) and RBI’s (58).

The leading hitter for the Cards is first baseman Andrew Clark who comes into Regional action with a .377 clip, along with 12 home runs, and 58 RBI.

Ryan Wright is the Cardinals’ leading run producer with 77 RBI to compliment his .366 average.

To speak to the depth of the Louisville sluggers, the team boasts seven starters with averages north of .310, which could have been even greater if the programs top offensive prospect – Josh Richmond – hadn’t been lost for 40 games due to a wrist injury.

With Richmond healthy, the team carries a .317 cumulative batting average, while collecting 156 doubles, 9 triples, and 85 home runs in 60 games, equating to a gaudy .517 slugging percentage, along with an on-base percentage of .402.

The aggressiveness as the plate continues on the base paths as 80 bags have been swiped in 103 attempts, led by Cardinal Catcher Jeff Arnold, who leads the team with 16 stolen bases.
Wunderlich has swiped 12 himself as well.

As impressive as the offensive numbers are, the pitching staff might one-up their peers.

Thomas Royse was named a 3rd Team All-American this week by Louisville Slugger. (Louisville photo)

As a team Louisville has a 3.71 ERA while collecting 454 strikeouts in 550 innings. Seven Cardinal pitchers with at least 30 innings have ERAs sub-4 with a pair of All-Americans that bookend the staff.

At 9-1, Thomas Royse is the leader of the Louisville rotation. Royse has a 2.91 ERA in 99 innings with 94 strikeouts. Opponents who bat .252 off Royse don’t fare much better against the rest of the pitching staff, as opposing offenses (.261 ave) are finding it difficult to string hits together.

The other All-American arm the Cardinals have is closer Neil Holland. With 16 saves Holland is one of the best in the country, a sentiment reflected by his 2.10 ERA, with 52 strikeouts in 51 innings of work. Holland has held the opposition to a stingy .153 batting average while collecting eight wins on the season.

Justin Amlung (5-1, 4.01), and Dean Kiekhefer (4-3, 4.31) are two starters with at least nine starts between them. If not seeing action in the rotation Bob Revesz (1-1, 1.95), Matt Koch (2-0, 3.55), Derek Self (7-0, 4.53), and Tony Zych (4-2, 5.47) will see action in relief.

With such a complete program, Louisville is the favorite in their own regional. McDonnell’s suspension should do little to derail this team, if not bring them closer together.

Louisville has it all this year on the diamond. Contact, power, speed and a quality pitching staff that has a lights-out Friday night starter, along with a great closer, and several other quality arms, Vanderbilt will have a hard time eliminating Louisville, even with the loss of their head coach this weekend.

In securing a national seed, the Cardinals are looking forward to hosting a Super Regional, and will leave no rock unturned in that pursuit.

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Around The Bases-June 3

Sean Stires — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:19:13 +0000

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A Few Pre-NCAA Regional Thoughts

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

1. There’s been a lot of talk this week about Virginia slipping to the #5 national seed, with Arizona State, Texas, Florida, and Coastal Carolina filling the respective top seeds in front of the Cavaliers. I understand why Virginia fans would be upset with the likes of Coastal being in front of them in the seedings. Virginia has its 2009 College World Series team virtually intact, and they navigated a tougher schedule than the Chanticleers. However, for the purposes of getting to Omaha it doesn’t matter which national seed you are, it only matters that you are a national seed. Coastal is potentially matched-up with South Carolina for a Super Regional, while Viginia would be pitted against the Oklahoma Regional. Which take me to…

NCAA Selection Committee Chair Tim Weiser

2. I’m still chewing on NCAA Selection Committee Chairman Tim Weiser’s explanation of how Super Regional pairings are made. In a conference call after selections were announced Monday Weiser said that after the top eight seeds are determined “everybody else (the other eight number one Regional seeds) becomes a nine”, adding “geography in large part’s gonna always drive our selections.” Weiser said earlier in the call that teams like TCU and Cal State Fullerton were in the conversation for one of the top eight seeds, but instead of being a top eight seed TCU finds itself in a potential Super Regional match-up with #2 national seed Texas. Why? Because Ft. Worth is closer to Austin than say Norwich, CT. The Norwich Regional winner vs. the Austin Regional winner and the Ft. Worth winner vs. the Louisville winner is probably the more fair road to Omaha, but it is not the best geographical (and thus financial) road to Omaha.

3. Eight teams each made it in from the ACC, Pac 10 and SEC. Cal getting a #2 seed in the Norman Regional raise some eyebrows, but it’s understandable. That many teams from each of those conferences makes seeding a nightmare. Two teams from the same conference cannot be in the same Regional, and #1 Regional seeds from the same conference (IE-#1 Texas and #1 Oklahoma from the Big 12) cannot be matched in a potential Super Regional.

Mike Batesole and his Fresno State Bulldogs were left out of the field of 64.

4. We got some emails and messages this week from Fresno State fans who are upset they were left out of the field of 64. It’s hard to make a strong case for the Bulldogs though. They finished with a 38-25 record with an RPI of 77. They had just one win over a top 50 team (Cal State Fullerton). Florida Gulf Coast finished with the same amount of wins and was 33 RPI spots and they didn’t get in. In the end, Fresno State was held to the same standard as other non “power conference” teams. One more win against Nevada and even one win (instead of four losses) at home to Oregon may have gone a long way. Oregon State missed the tournament in 2008 as the reigning national champion, so it’s hard to make the case that being two years removed from a championship makes a team tournament worthy.

5. Want more proof that last year means NOTHING when it comes to this year’s selections and seedings? Three of this year’s Super Regionals could each feature two of last year’s College World Series teams going head to head for the right to go back to Omaha. Arizona State vs. Arkansas, Virginia vs. North Carolina and LSU vs. Cal State Fullerton are all potential Super Regional pairings if they successfully navigate their Regionals.

5a. Want more proof? Virginia and Ole Miss matched-up in the Super Regionals last year, but the Rebels were sent to Charlottesville for Regionals this year. Meanwhile, two other 2009 Super Regional participants, Texas (CWS runner-up) and Rice, are both in this year’s Austin Regional.

6. No offense Fullerton fans, but I would rather see the Los Angeles (UCLA) Regional on ESPNU than the Fullerton Regional. UCLA is the #6 national seed and the defending national champion, LSU, is the #2 seed with #3 UC Irvine there as well. I do like the Stanford vs. New Mexico match-up in the Fullerton Regional though. Stanford’s a perrenial CWS team, while the Lobos are in the tournament for the first time in 48 years. On second thought…

7. Speaking of New Mexico…It didn’t take long for Ray Birmingham to “Kick Down The Door” at New Mexico. As in

Ray Birmingham (Courtesy UNM)

“We’re gonna kick down the door and say here I am baby, I cannot be stopped”. In just his third year as head coach in Albuquerque Birmingham has the Lobos in a place it hasn’t been since Kennedy was President. Birmingham spent 18 years as head coach at New Mexico Junior College, and won the 2005 Juco World Series before making the move to the Division One ranks. One of his stars, Justin Howard, told me this week that Birmingham is “old school” and the Lobos are “blue collar”. Howard says that “Kick down the door” mantra of Birmingham’s isn’t just a slogan at UNM, it’s a way of life. It’s good to see old school work ethic is valued by this year’s NCAA new kids on the block.

8. If Florida International’s Garrett Wittels makes college baseball history this year we are guaranteed to see it on national television. ESPNU will also televise the Coral Gables (Miami) Regional where Wittels puts his 54-game hitting streak on the line. He needs hits in four more games to tie Robin Ventura for the longest DI streak ever. The double-elimination Regional format means FIU needs to win at least two games to give Wittels the four games to tie Ventura. If he does keep it going and FIU wins the Regional every Super Regional game next week will be on the ESPN family as well. Wittels and the Golden Panthers face Texas A&M Friday at Noon Eastern.

9. How about Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell being suspended for the first three games of a home Regional for going berserk on an umpire during the Big East Tournament? Three games is pretty stiff, but McDonnell is not known as a “quiet” guy in the dugout by any means. Assistants Chris Lemonis and Roger Williams will run the team in McDonnell’s absence. Lemonis is already one of the “hot” assistants for head coaching vacancies.

10. I’m glad I’m not an umpire.

Charlie Hickey

11. #4 seed Central Connecticut State faces #1 Florida State Friday in the first round of the Norwich, CT Regional, but it won’t be the first time Blue Devils head coach Charlie Hickey has faced the Seminoles in tournament play. Hickey is in his 11th season at CCSU, and he’s only there because Providence dropped baseball after the 1999 season. Hickey led the last Providence team to an NCAA berth that year and faced Mike Martin’s eventual College World Series runner-up team that year in the Tallahassee Regional. Hickey’s Friars were given a standing ovation by Seminole fans for their gritty play after the last game in Providence history.

12. FSU fans aren’t happy about the fact that their Seminoles are headed to Connecticut for a Regional, but sending ‘Noles to the Nutmeg State might be the best decision the Selection Committee made this year. There was at least some outrage last year when Rhode Island was left out of the NCAA field. Analysts like Kyle Peterson said Rhode Island’s inclusion in the tournament was needed to “grow the game” in the Northeast, but Rhode Island was never going to actually host a Regional. They would have been shipped out to the likes of North Carolina or Atlanta. However, if sending a perennial power like Florida State to New England doesn’t grow the college game there nothing will. I tossed out some ideas on the subject last fall & winter. You can read them here and here.