In this Clemson Regional preview, The Clemson Insider gives fans a further glimpse into each team playing in the regional.
No. 1 Clemson 39-19 (17-13; 3rd ACC Atlantic)
Nickname: Tigers
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Head Coach: Monte Lee (2nd season at Clemson, 8th season overall)
2016 Record: 44-20 (16-14; 4th Atlantic) – Clemson Regional – #15 USA, #17 BA, #18 CB/D1
2017 Pre-Season: 3rd in ACC Atlantic Division (7 teams); 1 vote for Overall Champ
2017 Home Record: 26-9 (26-9 in 2016)
Offensive Statistical Leaders
Batting Average: .375 (#26 Reed Rohlman – *JR)
RBIs: 51 (#27 Chris Williams – JR/#28 Seth Beer – SO)
Home Runs: 14 (#27 Chris Williams – JR/#28 Seth Beer – SO)
Doubles: 21 (#26 Reed Rohlman – *JR)
Walks: 56 (#28 Seth Beer – SO)
Stolen Bases: 12 (#5 Chase Pinder – JR)
Pitching Statistical Leaders:
Wins: 8 (#22 Tyler Jackson – *GR/#36 Pat Krall – SR)
ERA: 2.73 (#23 Charlie Barnes – JR)
Appearances: 25 (#32 Jacob Hennessy – FR/#44 Ryley Gilliam – SO)
Saves: 4 (#44 Ryley Gilliam – SO)
Innings: 95.2 (#23 Charlie Barnes – JR)
Strikeouts: 109 (#23 Charlie Barnes – JR)
Top Position Players:
#26 Reed Rohlman (*JR) .375 BA with 21 2B, 6 HR, & 33 RBI in 57 games in 2017
#5 Chase Pinder (JR) .318 BA with 14 2B, 7 HR, & 31 RBI in 56 games in 2017
#4 Grayson Byrd (*SO) .293 BA with 5 2B, 1 HR, & 19 RBI in 52 games in 2017
#28 Seth Beer (SO) .291 BA with 17 2B, 14 HR, & 51 RBI in 58 games in 2017
Top Pitchers:
#44 Ryley Gilliam (SO) 1.56 ERA, 3-1, 4 SV, 25 App/0 GS, 34.2 IP, 14 BB, 50 K, .195 OBA
#23 Charlie Barnes (JR) 2.73 ERA, 5-4, 15 App/15 GS, 95.2 IP, 21 BB, 109 K, .244 OBA
#36 Pat Krall (SR) 3.63 ERA, 8-3, 15 App/15 GS, 84.1 IP, 24 BB, 64 K, .284 OBA
#16 Alex Eubanks (*SO) 4.12 ERA, 6-5, 16 App/14 GS, 94.0 IP, 14 BB, 97 K, .253 OBA
No. 2 Vanderbilt 33-22-1 (15-13-1; 3rd SEC East)
Nickname: Commodores
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Tim Corbin (15th year at Vanderbilt; 21st year overall)
2016 Season: 43-19 (18-12; 3rd East) – Nashville Regional – #17 USA, #20 BA, #22 D1, #23 CB
2017 Pre-Season: 3rd in SEC East (7 teams)
2017 Road Record: 10-10 (2016: 9-10)
2017 Neutral Record: 2-1 (2016: 3-2)
Offensive Statistical Leaders
Batting Average: .337 (#9 Will Toffey – JR)
RBIs: 62 (#22 Julian Infante – SO)
Home Runs: 15 (#3 Jeren Kendall – JR)
Doubles: 16 (#5 Jason Delay – SR/#22 Julian Infante – SO)
Walks: 46 (#9 Will Toffey – JR)
Stolen Bases: 18 (#3 Jeren Kendall – JR)
Pitching Statistical Leaders:
Wins: 9 (#29 Patrick Raby – SO)
ERA: 2.24 (#29 Patrick Raby – SO)
Appearances: 22 (#34 Zach King – FR)
Saves: 7 (#24 Reed Hayes – JR)
Innings: 92.1 (#29 Patrick Raby – SO)
Strikeouts: 104 (#44 Kyle Wright – JR)
Top Position Players:
#9 Will Toffey (JR) .337 BA with 11 2B, 8 HR, & 52 RBI in 50 games in 2017
#22 Julian Infante (SO) .326 BA with 16 2B, 11 HR, & 62 RBI in 56 games in 2017
#3 Jeren Kendall (JR) .306 BA with 7 2B, 15 HR, & 44 RBI in 56 games in 2017
#5 Jason Delay (SR) .301 BA with 16 2B, 2 HR, & 36 RBI in 53 games in 2017)
Top Pitchers:
#29 Patrick Raby (SO) 2.24 ERA, 9-3, 14 App/14 GS, 92.1 IP, 26 BB, 82 K, .222 OBA
#44 Kyle Wright (JR) 2.91 ERA, 4-5, 14 App/14 GS, 89.2 IP, 27 BB, 104 K, .206 OBA
#27 Chandler Day (SO) 3.78 ERA, 7-2, 13 App/12 GS, 52.1 IP, 21 BB, 53 K, .230 OBA
#24 Reed Hayes (JR) 5.40 ERA, 0-2, 7 SV, 18 App/0 GS, 18.1 IP, 10 BB, 22 K, .250 OBA
No. 3 St. John’s (NY) 42-10 (13-5; 2nd Big East)
Nickname: Red Storm
Conference: Big East
Head Coach: Ed Blankmeyer (21st season at St. John’s (NY); 21st season overall)
2016 Record: 28-26-1 (9-9; 4th Big East) – N/A – NR
2017 Pre-Season: T-1st in Big East (7 teams); 4 of 7 first-place votes
2017 Road Record: 13-5 (2016: 12-17-1)
2017 Neutral Record: 12-1 (2016: 2-3)
Offensive Statistical Leaders
Batting Average: .391 (#34 Troy Dixon – SR)
RBIs: 47 (#2 Jesse Berardi – JR/#29 Anthony Brocato – JR)
Home Runs: 8 (#29 Anthony Brocato – JR)
Doubles: 16 (#29 Anthony Brocato – JR)
Walks: 37 (#2 Jesse Berardi – JR/#7 Michael Donadio – SR)
Stolen Bases: 13 (#6 Jamie Galazin – JR)
Pitching Statistical Leaders:
Wins: 8 (#8 Sean Mooney – FR)
ERA: 1.22 (#8 Sean Mooney – FR)
Appearances: 23 (#13 Joe Kelly – SO/#16 Turner French – SO)
Saves: 3 (#33 Gavin Hollowell – FR)
Innings: 96.0 (#8 Sean Mooney – FR)
Strikeouts: 85 (#8 Sean Mooney – FR)
Top Position Players:
#34 Troy Dixon (SR) .391 BA with 11 2B, 3 HR, & 33 RBI in 46 games in 2017
#7 Michael Donadio (SR) .382 BA with 15 2B, 4 HR, & 36 RBI in 52 games in 2017
#2 Jesse Berardi (JR) .357 BA with 10 2B, 4 HR, & 47 RBI in 52 games in 2017
#29 Anthony Brocato (JR) .325 BA with 16 2B, 8 HR, & 47 RBI in 47 games in 2017
Top Pitchers:
#8 Sean Mooney (FR) 1.22 ERA, 8-1, 15 App/12 GS, 96.0 IP, 16 BB, 85 K, .178 OBA
#33 Gavin Hollowell (FR) 1.65 ERA, 2-1, 3 SV, 19 App/0 GS, 32.2 IP, 14 BB, 37 K, .191 OBA
#44 Joe LaSorsa (FR) 1.99 ERA, 7-1, 1 SV, 19 App/0 GS, 45.1 IP, 13 BB, 37 K, .212 OBA
#28 Michael LoPresti (SO) 4.66 ERA, 6-1, 14 App/12 GS, 56.0 IP, 26 BB, 44 K, .264 OBA
No. 4 UNC Greensboro 35-22 (14-10; T-3rd SoCon)
Nickname: Spartans
Conference: Southern
Head Coach: Link Jarrett (5th season at UNC Greensboro; 5th season overall)
2016 Record: 38-21 (15-9; T-2nd SoCon) – N/A – NR
2017 Pre-Season: 1st in Coaches Poll & 3rd in Media Poll (out of 9 teams)
2017 Road Record: 10-12 (2016: 10-13)
2017 Neutral Record: 5-1 (2016: 3-3)
Offensive Statistical Leaders
Batting Average: .397 (#1 Caleb Webster – FR)
RBIs: 54 (#24 Cesar Trejo – SO)
Home Runs: 10 (#24 Cesar Trejo – SO)
Doubles: 15 (#2 Tripp Shelton – JR)
Walks: 28 (#3 Ben Spitznagel – SR)
Stolen Bases: 16 (#4 Andrew Moritz – SO)
Pitching Statistical Leaders:
Wins: 8 (#20 Dan Loats – JR)
ERA: 4.15 (#31 Andrew Wantz – JR)
Appearances: 25 (#31 Andrew Wantz – JR)
Saves: 7 (#15 Chad Sykes – JR)
Innings: 90.2 (#33 Matt Frisbee – SO)
Strikeouts: 76 (#37 Bryce Hensley – JR)
Top Position Players:
#1 Caleb Webster (FR) .397 BA with 14 2B, 5 3B, & 38 RBI in 48 games in 2017
#2 Tripp Shelton (JR) .330 BA with 15 2B, 6 HR, & 45 RBI in 56 games in 2017
#18 Michael Goss (*SR) .320 BA with 11 2B, 8 HR, & 52 RBI in 53 games in 2017
#24 Cesar Trejo (SO) .284 BA with 11 2B, 10 HR, & 54 RBI in 54 games in 2017)
Top Pitchers:
#31 Andrew Wantz (JR) 4.15 ERA, 6-4, 4 SV, 25 App/0 GS, 65.0 IP, 25 BB, 62 K, .232 OBA
#33 Matt Frisbee (SO) 4.37 ERA, 7-4, 16 App/15 GS, 90.2 IP, 28 BB, 72 K, .242 OBA
#37 Bryce Hensley (JR) 4.59 ERA, 7-7, 16 App/16 GS, 86.1 IP, 28 BB, 76 K, .269 OBA
#15 Chad Sykes (JR) 4.79 ERA, 1-0, 7 SV, 16 App/0 GS, 20.2 IP, 11 BB, 24 K, .289 OBA