Regional Schedule
- Game 1 – Friday, May 31 at 3:00 p.m.: No. 2 Creighton vs. No. 3 Michigan (3:00 p.m., ESPN3)
- Game 2 – Friday, May 31 at 9:00 p.m.: No. 1 Oregon State vs. No. 4 Cincinnati (9:00 p.m., ESPNU)
- Game 3 – Saturday, June 1 at 3:00 p.m.: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (Elimination Game)
- Game 4 – Saturday, June 1 at 9:00 p.m.: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
- Game 5 – Sunday, June 2 at 2:00 p.m.: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser (Elimination Game)
- Game 6 – Sunday, June 2 at 8:00 p.m.: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner
- Game 7 (if necessary) – Monday, June 3 at 9:00 p.m.: (Elimination Game)
- Location: Goss Stadium at Coleman Field in Corvallis, Oregon (seating capacity: 3,315)
The Road To Omaha
Oregon State Preview
The defending champs are looking to get back to Omaha. (Williams / WBR)
The Beavers are the reigning national College World Series champions. That experience counts for something this time of year, especially when the road back to Omaha starts in their own backyard. While the depth of this year’s lineup isn’t near what it was in year’s past they still have arguably the best amateur prospect at their disposal in junior catcher Adley Rutschman. The heralded backstop was recently named the Pac-12 Player of the Year after slugging 17 home runs, driving in 57 runs, and slashing .419/.580/.765 this season. He leads the nation in walks with 73 and on-base percentage at .580. The likely No. 1 overall pick in next Monday’s MLB Draft was also honored by the Pac-12 as the co-recipient of the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Oregon State is once against paced by their pitching staff, although they have dealt with some adversity in that area this season. Projected staff ace and reigning CWS Most Outstanding Player Kevin Abel was lost to Tommy John surgery three starts into his sophomore campaign, top reliever Mitchell Verburg had his season cut short by elbow surgery after 16 appearances, and Abel’s replacement in the Friday starter role, Brandon Eisert, was recently sidelined for a few weeks with swelling in his elbow. Unlike Abel and Verburg, Eisert is expected to return for regional play this weekend, but he will be used out of the bullpen instead of resuming his role in the starting rotation alongside right-handers Bryce Fehmel and Grant Gambrell.
National Rankings
Batting Average: .264 (166th)
On-Base Percentage: .369 (107th)
Slugging Percentage: .394 (146th)
Fielding Percentage: .978 (23rd)
Earned Run Average: 2.98 (2nd)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: 2.76 (15th)
Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched: 1.19 (7th)
Michigan Preview
The Wolverines finished the regular season second in the Big Ten, a half game back of regular season champion Indiana. Despite that, their “Road to Omaha” might have ended before it even started had that not taken care of some business in, well, Omaha. After dropping their opening game of the Big Ten Tournament to arch rival Ohio State, Michigan had to bounce back to beat Illinois, Maryland, and push Nebraska to an elimination game in the semifinals to feel good about its postseason aspirations.
Even as the No. 3 seed, the Wolverines have more than enough talent and experience in pressure-packed environments to be the last team standing in Corvallis this weekend — a road win against a UCLA team that enters the tournament as the top overall seed is proof of that. The top half of their lineup features two players in sophomore designated hitter Jordan Nwogu and junior right fielder Jordan Brewer who can hit for average and power while also creating havoc on the bases. Through 52 games, Nwogu is hitting .338 with 10 home runs, 40 runs driven in, and is 15 out of 17 in stolen base attempts. Brewer clocks in with a .342 batting average to go along with 12 homers, 52 rbi, and 19 steals. Those numbers out of the three-hole earned the St. Joseph, Michigan native the Big Ten Player of the Year award in just his first season playing Division 1 baseball.
Michigan boasts the deepest starting pitching in this regional with right-handers Karl Kauffman and Jeff Criswell, and left-hander Tommy Henry all capable of eating up innings, racking up strikeouts, and limiting the free passes. Anything you get against that trio you better cash in, because they all have the luxury of handing the ball off to stud at the back end of the bullpen in Oregon native Willie Weiss. The freshman right-hander has nine saves on the year and a 2.49 earned run average in 12 appearances since April 6. An unsightly 15.82 walks per nine innings over his last seven games has threatened to put a damper on his rookie campaign in Ann Arbor, but his ability to strikeout every other batter he faces gets him out of trouble in most instances.
National Rankings
Batting Average: .283 (67th)
On-Base Percentage: .384 (53rd)
Slugging Percentage: .448 (43rd)
Fielding Percentage: .974 (67th)
Earned Run Average: 3.49 (14th)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: 2.32 (56th)
Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched: 1.25 (16th)
Cincinnati Preview
The Bearcats are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1974, and should come as no surprise to Bluejay fans with former Xavier head coach Scott Googins at the helm. Googins engineered a four conference tournament title runs while with the Musketeers, two of which ended Creighton’s season. Two years into his tenure with the Bearcats and he showed the American Athletic Conference some of the conference tournament magic by sweeping through the field and laying a 22-5 beating on Connecticut to earn the automatic bid.
This Cincinnati team doesn’t live by the long ball as much of some of Googins’ teams at Xavier used to, but they know how to get on base and they are aggressive once they do. The free passes gets them in trouble on the mound, but they have play strong defense behind that, and they have a couple of lefties in sophomore Garrett Schoenle and freshman Evan Shawver who can generate swings and misses against undisciplined hitters.
National Rankings
Batting Average: .257 (206th)
On-Base Percentage: .352 (209th)
Slugging Percentage: .365 (214th)
Fielding Percentage: .978 (21st)
Earned Run Average: 5.47 (202nd)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: 1.40 (259th)
Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched: 1.60 (205th)
Probable Starting Lineups
No. 1 seed Oregon State (36-18-1, 21-8 Pac-12)
- Beau Philip, SS, Jr. – .322 avg | .370 obp | .503 slg | 5 hr | 31 rbi | 5 sb
- Adley Rutschman, C, Jr. – .419 avg | .580 obp | .765 slg | 17 hr | 57 rbi | 0 sb
- Alex McGarry, LF, R-So. – .291 avg | .377 obp | .400 slg | 3 hr | 22 rbi | 1 sb
- Tyler Malone, DH, Jr. – .213 avg | .387 obp | .270 slg | 0 hr | 18 rbi | 1 sb
- Ryan Ober, 1B, So. – .271 avg | .377 obp | .400 slg | 3 hr | 22 rbi | 1 sb
- Zack Zalesky, RF, R-So. – .222 avg | .300 obp | .370 slg | 1 hr | 7 rbi | 1 sb
- Andy Armstrong, 2B, Jr. – .237 avg | .300 obp | .314 slg | 1 hr | 11 rbi | 2 sb
- George Mendazona, 3B, R-So. – .223 avg | .318 obp | .295 slg | 1 hr | 12 rbi | 0 sb
- Joe Casey, CF, R-So. – .268 avg | .359 obp | .423 slg | 3 hr | 13 rbi | 4 sb
Projected Starting Pitchers
- Bryce Fehmel, RHP, Sr. – 7-3 w-l | 3.34 era | 1.04 whip | 6.41 k/9 | 1.82 bb/9 | .226 baa
- Grant Gambrell, RHP, Jr. – 5-2 w-l | 2.74 era | 1.17 whip | 10.49 k/9 | 3.04 bb/9 | .229 baa
- Dylan Pearce, RHP, Sr. – 3-2 w-l | 3.59 era | 1.30 whip | 8.45 k/9 | 4.66 bb/9 | .219 baa
No. 2 seed Creighton (38-11, 14-4 Big East)
The Bluejay lineup (Spomer / WBR)
- Isaac Collins, 2B, Jr. – .303 avg | .377 obp | .482 slg | 5 hr | 33 rbi | 13 sb
- Parker Upton, LF, Jr. – .327 avg | .495 obp | .597 slg | 9 hr | 32 rbi | 8 sb
- Jake Holton, 1B, Jr. – .405 avg | .502 obp | .726 slg | 14 hr | 56 rbi | 1 sb
- Will Robertson, RF, Jr. – .309 avg | .402 obp | .583 slg | 13 hr | 62 rbi | 1 sb
- Jack Strunc, SS, Sr. – .285 avg | .332 obp | .415 slg | 2 hr | 30 rbi | 4 sb
- Jordan Hovey, 3B, Sr. – .262 avg | .389 obp | .453 slg | 7 hr | 31 rbi | 9 sb
- David Vilches, C, So. – .245 avg | .394 obp | .480 slg | 5 hr | 16 rbi | 1 sb
- Jared Wegner, DH, Fr. – .275 avg | .382 obp | .350 slg | 1 hr | 20 rbi | 7 sb
- Will Hanafan, CF, So. – .263 avg | .342 obp | .277 slg | 0 hr | 16 rbi | 4 sb
Creighton’s pitching will be key this weekend (Spomer / WBR)
Projected Starting Pitchers
- Mitch Ragan, RHP, Sr. – 8-2 w-l | 3.97 era | 1.12 whip | 8.58 k/9 | 1.40 bb/9 | .249 baa
- Denson Hull, LHP, Sr. – 5-4 w-l | 5.78 era | 1.42 whip | 7.25 k/9 | 4.84 bb/9 | .237 baa
- Evan Johnson, RHP, Sr. – 8-2 w-l | 3.14 era | 1.22 whip | 8.85 k/9 | 4.42 bb/9 | .199 baa
No. 3 seed Michigan (41-18, 16-7 Big Ten)
- Jordan Nwogu, DH, So. – .338 avg | .456 obp | .590 slg | 10 hr | 40 rbi | 15 sb
- Jesse Franklin, CF, So. – .254 avg | .392 obp | .488 slg | 12 hr | 43 rbi | 4 sb
- Jordan Brewer, RF, Jr. – .342 avg | .402 obp | .609 slg | 12 hr | 52 rbi | 19 sb
- Jack Blomgren, SS, So. – .310 avg | .419 obp | .414 slg | 3 hr | 41 rbi | 5 sb
- Jimmy Kerr, 1B, Sr. – .266 avg | .367 obp | .439 slg | 8 hr | 47 rbi | 5 sb
- Miles Lewis, LF, R-Sr. – .270 avg | .371 obp | .422 slg | 4 hr | 31 rbi | 10 sb
- Joe Donovan, C, So. – .258 avg | .332 obp | .429 slg | 6 hr | 31 rbi | 0 sb
- Blake Nelson, 3B, Sr. – .308 avg | .405 obp | .416 slg | 1 hr | 31 rbi | 14 sb
- Ako Thomas, 2B, Sr. – .269 avg | .362 obp | .390 slg | 2 hr | 24 rbi | 2 sb
Projected Starting Pitchers
- Karl Kauffmann, RHP, Jr. – 8-6 w-l | 2.86 era | 1.09 whip | 7.96 k/9 | 2.41 bb/9 | .220 baa
- Jeff Criswell, RHP, So. – 6-1 w-l | 2.76 era | 1.28 whip | 9.64 k/9 | 4.32 bb/9 | .223 baa
- Tommy Henry, LHP, Jr. – 9-5 w-l | 3.61 era | 1.12 whip | 10.16 k/9 | 2.25 bb/9 | .231 baa
No. 4 seed Cincinnati (30-29, 13-11 AAC)
- Eric Santiago, 3B, Jr. – .249 avg | .336 obp | .324 slg | 0 hr | 20 rbi | 11 sb
- Joey Bellini, SS, Jr. – .302 avg | .383 obp | .400 slg | 2 hr | 26 rbi | 2 sb
- Wyatt Stapp, DH, So. – .297 avg | .367 obp | .374 slg | 3 hr | 35 rbi | 1 sb
- Joey Wiemer, LF, So. – .263 avg | .362 obp | .408 slg | 6 hr | 27 rbi | 21 sb
- Mitch Holding, C, Jr. – .202 avg | .399 obp | .375 slg | 5 hr | 21 rbi | 1 sb
- Jace Mercer, 2B, Jr. – .261 avg | .390 obp | .374 slg | 3 hr | 25 rbi | 20 sb
- A.J. Bumpass, RF, Sr. – .280 avg | .359 obp | .488 slg | 7 hr | 41 rbi | 6 sb
- Cole Murphy, 1B, Sr. – .228 avg | .303 obp | .316 slg | 2 hr | 19 rbi | 1 sb
- Jeremy Johnson, CF, R-Jr. – .272 avg | .395 obp | .323 slg | 2 hr | 20 rbi | 19 sb
Projected Starting Pitchers
- David Orndorff, RHP, R-Sr. – 5-2 w-l | 4.79 era | 1.18 whip | 6.58 k/9 | 2.41 bb/9 | .246 baa
- Garrett Schoenle, LHP, So. – 4-1 w-l | 5.95 era | 1.82 whip | 9.96 k/9 | 8.84 bb/9 | .234 baa
- Evan Shawver, LHP, Fr. – 3-7 w-l | 7.19 era | 1.69 whip | 10.59 k/9 | 7.54 bb/9 | .225 baa