Creighton heads west to Corvallis, OR for NCAA Tournament regional play, and will take on the Georgia Bulldogs out of the SEC on Friday at 3PM in Game One. If you’re anything like me, you’re curious to know a little more about Georgia, as well as the other two teams in the regional. I decided to sate my curious appetite with some research. And so, without further delay, its CAPSULE TIME!
Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 31-30 (SEC 16-14)
RPI: 17
SOS: 1
Record vs. Top 50: 21-24
Last 10 Games: 6-4
Offensive Statistics
| BA | SLG % | OPS | Runs/Game | HR | SB/Att |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .277 | .384 | .724 | 4.8 | 36 | 45-59 |
Defensive/Pitching Statistics
| ERA | WHIP | K/9 | Opp BA | Runs/Game | Fielding % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.99 | 1.53 | 6.2 | .293 | 5.6 | .974 |
Top Pitchers
| Pitcher | ERA | W/L (Saves) | IP | WHIP | K | Opp BA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Palazzone (Starter 1) | 3.20 | 10-4 | 112.1 | 1.11 | 73 | .259 |
| Alex Wood (Starter 2) | 4.53 | 5-7 | 93.1 | 1.40 | 71 | .299 |
| Tyler Maloof (Closer) | 7.92 | 2-2 (18) | 25 | 1.76 | 24 | .290 |
Top Hitters
| Player | BA | OPS | HR | RBI | K/BB | SB/Att |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Farmer (SS) | .304 | .807 | 7 | 53 | 31/16 | 3/4 |
| Levi Hyams (2B) | .318 | .846 | 4 | 37 | 44/34 | 6/8 |
| Zach Cone (LF) | .284 | .729 | 3 | 32 | 44/15 | 12/15 |
Quick Hits
Georgia wears a “JT2” patch on their sleeves for leadoff hitter and center fielder Johnathan Taylor, who was paralyzed in early March after a violent collision with left fielder Zach Cone … Number One pitcher Michael Palazzone started 8-1, and is just 2-3 since — including being on the losing end of a 12-5 loss to Kentucky on May 14 and a 10-0 loss to third-ranked Vanderbilt on May 25 … Though the third seed in the Corvallis Regional, the Bulldogs own the best RPI of the foursome at 16, have played the nation’s toughest schedule, and own 21 wins against the top-50 in the RPI.
——————————————
Oregon State Beavers
Record: 38-17 (Pac-10 17-10)
RPI: 30
SOS: 73
Record vs. Top 50: 13-5
Last 10 Games: 4-6
Offensive Statistics
| BA | SLG % | OPS | Runs/Game | HR | SB/Att |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .266 | .380 | .746 | 5.7 | 25 | 50-64 |
Defensive/Pitching Statistics
| ERA | WHIP | K/9 | Opp BA | Runs/Game | Fielding % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.93 | 1.19 | 7.4 | .243 | 3.6 | .971 |
Top Pitchers
| Pitcher | ERA | W/L (Saves) | IP | WHIP | K | Opp BA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Gaviglio (Starter 1) | 1.95 | 11-2 | 106.1 | 0.96 | 102 | .204 |
| Josh Osich (Starter 2) | 3.57 | 6-4 | 75.2 | 1.23 | 79 | .221 |
| Tony Bryant (Closer) | 1.59 | 3-2 (10) | 45.1 | 1.06 | 39 | .228 |
Top Hitters
| Player | BA | OPS | HR | RBI | K/BB | SB/Att |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Susac (C) | .325 | 1.028 | 5 | 31 | 31/27 | 0/1 |
| Kavin Keyes (DH) | .315 | .755 | 1 | 29 | 31/14 | 3/5 |
| Parker Berberet (1B) | .248 | .759 | 4 | 35 | 36/20 | 2/4 |
Quick Hits
Oregon State has lost six of its last seven games, having been swept by Oregon in a three-game series last weekend and losing two of three to USC the weekend before … Ace pitcher Sam Gaviglio’s only loss came April 1 at Arizona, who was ranked #18 at the time. If not for his line in that game — he gave up 10 runs (four of them earned) on eight hits in five innings pitched — his stellar numbers would be even greater.
——————————————
Arkansas Little Rock Trojans
Record: 24-32 (Sun Belt 10-20)
RPI: 158
SOS: 83
Record vs. Top 50: 5-12
Last 10 Games: 5-5
Offensive Statistics
| BA | SLG % | OPS | Runs/Game | HR | SB/Att |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .275 | .389 | .754 | 5.2 | 33 | 51-76 |
Defensive/Pitching Statistics
| ERA | WHIP | K/9 | Opp BA | Runs/Game | Fielding % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.84 | 1.74 | 5.1 | .306 | 6.4 | .973 |
Top Pitchers
| Pitcher | ERA | W/L (Saves) | IP | WHIP | K | Opp BA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin Drinnen (Starter 1) | 4.82 | 6-6 | 74.2 | 1.58 | 30 | .277 |
| Travis Henke (Starter 2) | 5.12 | 1-5 | 84.1 | 1.66 | 59 | .332 |
| Bubba Cooper (Closer) | 6.55 | 0-3 (2) | 22 | 1.86 | 13 | .330 |
Top Hitters
| Player | BA | OPS | HR | RBI | K/BB | SB/Att |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myles Parma (C) | .355 | .914 | 3 | 19 | 25/22 | 4/6 |
| Jason Houston (2B) | .327 | .899 | 6 | 26 | 44/30 | 7/9 |
| Jake Rowell (1B) | .272 | .838 | 6 | 42 | 56/36 | 2/2 |
Quick Hits
UALR made history at the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Tournament by becoming the first No. 8 seed in league history to not only advance to the conference title game, but also win the Sun Belt Championship. The Trojans went 4-0 at the 2011 Sun Belt Tournament with wins over four teams ranked in the top-100 in the latest RPI ratings, including three top-50 RPI teams in Florida International (31), Florida Atlantic (43) and Troy (47) … This will be UALR’s first-ever NCAA Tournament regional appearance.
