NCAA Baseball Super Regional Capsules
June 1, 2000
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer
A look at the matchups for the eight best-of-three super regionals, startingFriday (coaches’ records and years coached are at Division I schools):
MIAMI (40-17-1) at FLORIDA STATE (49-16)
SITE: Dick Howser Stadium, Tallahassee, Fla.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Miami won Coral Gables, Fla., regional: beatBethune-Cookman 6-3, lost to Central Florida 9-8, beat Evansville 11-2, beatCentral Florida 6-1, beat Central Florida 8-1. Florida St. won Tallahassee,Fla., regional: beat Wagner 19-5, beat Florida Atlantic 11-5, beat FloridaInternational 14-4.
COACHES: Miami, Jim Morris, (843-349-2, 19th year). Florida St., MikeMartin (1,128-380-3, 21st year).
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Miami, 29 (1999). Florida St., 21 (1999).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Miami: RHP David Gil (11-2), LHP Brian Walker (11-2),RHP Kiki Bengochea (5-4), 1B Lale Esquivel (.323, 20, 66), OF Manny Crespo(.321, 11, 41), 3B Kevin Howard (.420, 4, 51), C Danny Matienzo (.359, 9, 57),SS Javy Rodriguez (.360, 4, 37). Florida St.: RHP Jon McDonald (11-4), RHPBlair Varnes (10-2), LHP Mike DiBlasi (2-1), LHP Matt Lynch (7-0), OF John-FordGriffin (.417, 8, 54), 2B Marshall McDougall (.341, 12, 62), OF Chris Smith(.389, 12, 59), SS Brett Groves (.316, 3, 45), 1B Ryan Barthelemy (.310, 10,65).
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (41-18) at GEORGIA TECH (50-14)
SITE: Russ Chandler Stadium, Atlanta.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: USC won Fullerton, Calif., regional: beat Virginia Tech8-3, beat Loyola Marymount 13-5, beat Cal State Fullerton 8-3. Georgia Tech wonAtlanta regional: beat Georgia Southern 11-9, beat Stetson 24-1, beat Stetson16-11.
COACHES: USC, Mike Gillespie (560-311-2, 14th year). Georgia Tech, DannyHall (511-251, 13th year).
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): USC, 33 (1999). Georgia Tech, 17 (1998).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: USC: RHP Rik Currier (13-3, 129 Ks), LHP Ron Flores(6-1), RHP Mark Prior (9-6, 138 Ks), 3B Justin Gemoll (.389, 18, 66), C BeauCraig (.279, 16, 57), SS Seth Davidson (.301, 4, 31), 2B Anthony Lunetta (.344,9, 46), OF Rob Garibaldi (.343, 7, 43). Georgia Tech: LHP Cory Vance (13-2),RHP Rhett Parrott (8-2), RHP Steve Kelly (8-2), 3B Mark Teixeira (.422, 18,80), OF Jason Basil (.393, 15, 83), SS Victor Menocal (.331, 3, 39), 2B RichardLewis (.406, 4, 51), C-1B Bryan Prince (.395, 8, 77).
MISSISSIPPI STATE (41-18) at CLEMSON (48-16)
SITE: Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson, S.C.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Mississippi St. won Starkville, Miss., regional: beatSouth Alabama 9-2, beat Notre Dame 8-1, lost to Notre Dame 7-0, beat Notre Dame10-9. Clemson won Clemson, S.C., regional: beat Middle Tenn. St. 4-0, beatIllinois 9-3, beat Middle Tenn. St. 21-3.
COACHES: Mississippi St., Pat McMahon (314-148, eighth year). Clemson,Jack Leggett (713-418, 21st year).
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Mississippi St., 24 (1999). Clemson, 26(1999).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mississippi St.: LHP Mark Freed (9-1), RHP Jeff Hunter(6-2), LHP Kevin Donovan (7-4), RHP Adam Larson (12 saves), 3B Travis Chapman(.356, 7, 62), 1B Jon Knott (.305, 16, 66), OF Shane Kelly (.323, 9, 48), OFPhillip Willingham (.317, 8, 33). Clemson: RHP Ryan Mottl (9-3), RHP ScottBerney (9-4), RHP Jarrod Schmidt (9-0), RHP Nick Glaser (14 saves), 3B KhalilGreene (.361, 5, 61), SS Jeff Baker (.320, 11, 61), Casey Stone (.359, 1, 47),OF Patrick Boyd (.285, 2, 44).
UCLA (38-24) at LOUISIANA STATE (46-17)
SITE: Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: UCLA won Oklahoma City regional: beat Delaware 13-12,beat Oklahoma 10-5, beat Oklahoma 11-3. LSU won Baton Rouge, La., regional:beat Jackson St. 19-1, beat Louisiana-Monroe 21-0, beat Louisiana-Monroe 5-3.
COACHES: UCLA, Gary Adams (866-698-7, 26th year). LSU, Skip Bertman(820-308-2, 17th year).
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): UCLA, 11 (1999). LSU, 16 (1999).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: UCLA: LHP Rob Henkel (6-3, 131 Ks), RHP Josh Karp(10-1), RHP Jon Brandt (7-5), OF Bill Scott (.431, 21, 75), 2B Chase Utley(.389, 21, 67), 1B Garrett Atkins (.360, 17, 72), C Forrest Johnson (.356, 22,76). LSU: LHP Brian Tallett (13-3), RHP Hunter Gomez (9-1), RHP Weylin Guidry(six saves), C Brad Cresse (.399, 29, 100), 1B Brad Hawpe (.366, 9, 72), 2BMike Fontenot (.344, 16, 60), OF Cedrick Harris (.391, 2, 33), OF Jeremy Witten(.345, 6, 51), 3B Blair Barbier (.340, 6, 40).
PENN STATE (45-17) at TEXAS (44-19)
SITE: Disch-Falk Field, Austin, Texas.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Penn St. won Upper Montclair, N.J., regional: lost toNorth Carolina 14-5, beat Army 3-1, beat Rutgers 6-5, beat North Carolina 6-5,beat North Carolina 10-3. Texas won Tempe, Ariz., regional: beat Creighton 5-4,lost to Arizona St. 3-1, beat Miami, Ohio 11-1, beat Arizona St. 6-4, beatArizona St. 9-7.
COACHES: Penn St., Joe Hindelang (438-389-3, 18th year). Texas, AugieGarrido (1,282-620, 32nd year).
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Penn St., 19 (1976). Texas, 42 (1999).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Penn St.: RHP Pete Yodis (7-3), RHP Dan Goebler (7-2),RHP Mike Watson (8-1, five saves), LHP Kevin Damiano (3-2, regional MVP), OFMichael Campo (.439, 6, 48, 41-game hitting streak), 3B Shawn Fagan (.379, 15,80), C Chris Netwall (.358, 9, 41), 2B Eric Spadt (.322, 11, 49), INF ChrisWright (.374, 9, 58). Texas: RHP Beau Hale (11-5), LHP D.J. Jones (12-5), LHPPhil Seibel (5-1), RHP Charlie Thames (4-2, 19 saves), 1B Jeff Ontiveros (.294,14, 65), 2B Tommy Nicholson (.364, 3, 39), OF Ben Emond (.378, 40 RBIs), SSTodd West (.310, 1, 24).
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE (45-17) at SOUTH CAROLINA (55-8)
SITE: Sarge Frye Stadium, Columbia, S.C.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Louisiana-Lafayette won Lafayette, La., regional: beatMcNeese St. 11-5, beat East Carolina 5-3, beat East Carolina 8-5. SouthCarolina won Columbia, S.C., regional: beat Liberty 6-4, beat Wake Forest 6-1,beat Wake Forest 8-4.
COACHES: Louisiana-Lafayette, Tony Robichaux (419-264, 12th year). SouthCarolina, Ray Tanner (562-246-3, 13th year).
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Louisiana-Lafayette, seven (1999). SouthCarolina, 16 (1998).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Louisiana-Lafayette: RHP Scott Dohmann (11-5), LHPJustin Gabriel (9-2), LHP Nick Webb (7-2), RHP Aaron Welbourne (1-0, eightsaves), C Danny Massiatte (.291, 14 HRs, 39 RBIs), 3B Nathan Nelson (.381, 5,42), INF Ryan Gill (.365, regional MVP). South Carolina: RHP Kip Bouknight(16-1), RHP Peter Bauer (13-1), RHP Scott Barber (9-1, 14 saves), 1B TrippKelly (.294, 20, 69), C Brandon Pack (.321, 16, 74), OF Nate Janowicz (.337, 5,45), OF Brennan Dees (.336, 10, 53).
NEBRASKA (50-15) at STANFORD (45-14)
SITE: Sunken Diamond, Palo Alto, Calif.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Nebraska won Minneapolis regional: beat Butler 2-1,beat Minnesota 4-1, beat Wichita St. 5-1. Stanford won Palo Alto, Calif.,regional: beat Fresno St. 5-1, beat Alabama 8-6, lost to Alabama 14-9, beatAlabama 16-6.
COACHES: Nebraska, Dave Van Horn (222-118, sixth year). Stanford, MarkMarquess (990-496-5, 24th year).
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Nebraska, five (1999). Stanford, 20 (1999).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Nebraska: DH Matt Hopper (.364, 21, 70), 1B Dan Johnson(.390, 21, 53), C Justin Cowan (.381, 9, 72), OF Jamal Strong (33 stolenbases), RHP Shane Komine (11-3, broken jaw), LHP Jamie Rodrigue (9-3), RHP ThomOtt (six saves), LHP Trevor Bullock (6-1). Stanford: RHP Justin Wayne (13-3),RHP Jason Young (8-0), RHP Brian Sager (5-1), RHP Jeff Bruksch (11 saves), 3BJohn Gall (.346, 11, 68), OF Joe Borchard (.328, 18, 71), OF Edmund Muth (.314,17, 70), 1B Craig Thompson (.341, 9, 41).
SAN JOSE STATE (39-21) at HOUSTON (47-16)
SITE: Cougar Field, Houston.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: San Jose St. won Waco, Texas, regional: beat Florida4-1, beat SW Texas St. 5-2, lost to Florida 8-7, beat Florida 3-1. Houston wonHouston regional: beat Princeton 7-6, beat Rice 5-2, lost to Rice 5-4, beatRice 9-5.
COACHES: San Jose St., Sam Piraro (452-342-2, 14th year). Houston, RaynerNoble (216-145, sixth year).
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): San Jose St., three (1971). Houston, 13(1999).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: San Jose St.: LHP Chris Key (12-3), LHP Tim Adinolfi(7-3, six saves), LHP Jared Sandler (2-2, six saves), RHP Joey Baker (8-7), OFJunior Ruiz (.364, 3, 45), OF John Fagan (.303, 10, 42), OF Brandon Macchi(.303, 6, 41), 3B Tony Tognetti (.287, 4, 39). Houston: RHP Kyle Crowell(13-3), LHP-DH Shane Nance (9-1), RHP Duncan McAdoo (7-2), RHP Greg Runser(4-2, six saves), C Jarrod Bitter (.373, 10, 53), OF Tyson Schweitzer (.341,
