College Baseball Update

Sunday is usually the point in the regional tournaments where the smaller teams start to run out of pitching, and the big teams start to dominate.  There were lots of blowouts yesterday, and the cream is rising to the top:

Gainesville, Fla. Regional:
(1) Florida:  3-0
Georgia Tech:  2-2 (eliminated)
Connectictut:  1-2 (eliminated)
Bethune-Cookman:  0-2 (eliminated)

Tallahassee, Fla. Regional:
Florida St:  3-0
S. Alabama:  2-2 (eliminated)
So. Mississippi:  1-2 (eliminated)
Alabama St:  0-2 (eliminated)

A pretty easy weekend for the two Florida powers, who will meet in Gainesville next week for the Super Regionals.

Baton Rouge, La. Regional:
(8) Louisiana St:  2-0
Rice:  1-1
SE Louisiana:  1-1
Utah Valley:  0-2 (eliminated)

Raleigh, N.C. Regional:
Coastal Carolina:  2-0
N. Carolina St:  2-1
Navy:  1-2 (eliminated)
St. Mary's (Calif.):  0-2 (eliminated)

These two regionals battled rain the whole weekend.  LSU appears to be in good shape; I have no idea what will happen in Raleigh.

College Station, Tex. Regional:
(4) Texas A & M:  3-0
Minnesota:  2-2 (eliminated)
Wake Forest:  1-2 (eliminated)
Bighamton:  0-2 (eliminated)

Fort Worth, Tex. Regional:
Texas Christian:  3-0
Arizona St:  2-2 (eliminated)
Gonzaga:  1-2 (eliminated)
Oral Roberts:  0-2 (eliminated)

We always like match-ups from the old Southwest Conference, so a Texas A & M/Texas Christian Super Regional should be lots of fun.

Lubbock, Tex. Regional:
(5) Texas Tech:  2-1
Dallas Baptist:  3-1
New Mexico:  1-2 (eliminated)
Fairfield:  0-2 (eliminated)

Charlottesville, Va. Regional:
E. Carolina:  3-0
William & Mary:  2-2 (eliminated)
Virginia:  1-2 (eliminated)
Bryant:  0-2 (eliminated)

Congrats to William & Mary for eliminating their ancient rivals from UVA, but more congratulations to East Carolina for winning with typical ECU panache.  By the way, Dallas Baptist's team is called the Patriots, but you probably could have guessed that yourselves.

Coral Gables, Fla. Regional:
(3) Miami (Fla.):  3-0
Long Beach St:  2-2 (eliminated)
Fla. Atlantic:  1-2 (eliminated)
Stetson:  0-2 (eliminated)

Oxford, Miss. Regional:
Boston Coll:  3-0
Tulane:  2-2 (eliminated)
Utah:  1-2 (eliminated)
Mississippi:  0-2 (eliminated)

These were two of the best-balanced, and therefore most entertaining, regions.  Miami beat Long Beach 4-3 (in 11 innings) and 9-8 with a walk-off run in the 9th.

Starkville, Miss. Regional:
(6) Mississippi St:  3-0
Louisiana Tech:  2-2 (eliminated)
Cal State Fullerton:  1-2 (eliminated)
SE Missouri St:  0-2 (eliminated)

Lafayette, La. Regional:
La-Lafayette:  2-0
Arizona:  2-1
Sam Houston St:  1-2 (eliminated)
Princeton:  0-2 (eliminated)

Mississippi State and La-Lafayette may have the two most enthusiastic fan bases outside of Louisville, so it would be fun to see them match up in a Super Regional.

Louisville, Ky. Regional:
(2) Louisville:  3-0
Wright St:  2-2 (eliminated)
Ohio St:  1-2 (eliminated)
W. Michigan: 0-2 (eliminated)

Nashville, Tenn. Regional:
UC Santa Barbara:  2-0
Xavier:  2-1
Washington:  1-2 (eliminated)
Vanderbilt:  0-2 (eliminated)

It is true that no team has an easier path to Omaha than Louisville.  It may also be true that no team is better than Louisville.

Clemson, S.C. Regional:
Oklahoma St:  3-0
(7) Clemson:  2-2 (eliminated)
W. Carolina:  1-2 (eliminated)
Nebraska:  0-2 (eliminated)

Columbia, S.C. Regional:
UNC Wilmington:  2-1
S. Carolina:  3-1
Rhode Island:  1-2 (eliminated)
Duke:  0-2 (eliminated)

Clemson got hammered by Oklahoma State -- losing 12-2 and 9-2 -- and becomes the first of the eight National Seeds to be eliminated.  Meanwhile, after getting off to a shaky start, South Carolina beat Rhode Island yesterday 23-2, and then beat UNC Wilmington 10-1 -- so the Gamecocks may be finding their groove.