After an incredible season winning 45 games and the Atlantic Sun Tournament, the Stetson Hatters will host a regional this weekend.
They will host South Florida, Oklahoma State and Hartford this weekend. We will break down each team and then give a prediction at the end.
- Stetson 45-11 (15-3)
Stetson had one of its best seasons ever, and they had some big wins over Florida State, USF, and UCF. Much of their success can be attributed to great starting pitching, led by Logan Gilbert who posted a 2.52 ERA in 100 innings pitched with 143 strikeouts. Joey Gonzalez had a 1.77 ERA in 71.1 innings pitched with 74 strikeouts, while Jack Perkins had a 2.57 ERA in 94.2 innings pitched with 93 strikeouts. Brooks Wilson had a 2.13 ERA out of the bullpen with 20 saves and 68 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. As a staff they posted a 2.58 ERA in 501.2 innings pitched with 577 strikeouts. They didn’t need much offense, but they hit .252 as a team and scored 5.5 runs per game. They don’t have a single player hitting over .300, and no one hit more than 5 home runs. Jacob Koos hit .272 with 45 runs scored, 12 doubles, 3 home runs, and 31 RBI.
- South Florida 35-20-1 (14-9-1)
The Bulls had a great season in a very deep American Athletic Conference. Like Stetson, they possess a lot of great arms that includes top draft prospect Shane McClanahan. He had a 3.41 ERA in 71.1 innings pitched with 117 strikeouts. Andrew Perez is one of the best closers in the country with a 2.58 ERA in 38.1 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts and 12 saves. As a staff they posted a 3.85 ERA in 493.1 innings pitched 553 strikeouts. They also hit the ball really well batting .299 as a team and scoring 6.4 runs per game. David Villar leads the team with a .379 average, 52 runs scored and 55 RBI to go along with 12 home runs. Joe Genord hit .317 this year with 15 home runs and 50 RBI.
- Oklahoma State 29-24-1 (16-8)
The Cowboys made quite the run in the middle of the season winning 16-of-20, and that’s pretty much why they’re here. They finished the season just 2-10 and were lucky to make the postseason. They hit .259 as a team this year and scored 5.9 runs per game. On the mound they posted a 5.58 ERA in 473 innings pitched with 434 strikeouts. Catcher Colin Simpson is their top hitter after batting .281 with 48 runs scored, 18 home runs and 51 RBI. Shortstop Matt Kroon hit .302 with 54 runs scored, 17 doubles, 11 home runs and 37 RBI. Carson Teel was their top starter with an ERA of 4.56 in 81 innings pitched with 88 strikeouts.
- Hartford 26-29 (16-8)
It was a rough start to the season for Hartford with a difficult schedule as they went just 2-14 in their first 16 games. But they dominated the America East Conference on their way to a tournament championship. Nick Campana led the offense with a .389 average to go along with 45 runs scored, 17 doubles, 10 home runs and 39 RBI. Ashton Bardzell hit .297 with 20 home runs and 40 RBI. As a team they hit .270 and scored 4.8 runs per game. The pitching staff was solid with a 4.82 ERA in 457.2 innings pitched with 383 strikeouts. Nicholas Dombkowski posted a 2.73 ERA in 85.2 innings pitched with 67 strikeouts.
Prediction:
This regional really comes down to the two Florida teams. Both Stetson and South Florida have the pitching staffs to get through this regional. I have no confidence in Oklahoma State who probably doesn’t even deserve to be in this tournament in my opinion. The difference will come down to which team finds more offense.
I think the Bulls will ultimately wins this regional because of their offense.
Winner: South Florida
