Oregon State will host LSU, San Diego State and Northwestern State in the Corvallis Regional. Here is a brief preview of each team along with a prediction:
- Oregon State 44-10-1 (20-9-1)
The Beavers sit at No. 7 in the RPI after finishing second in the Pac-12. They went 13-4 against regional teams this season. OSU had an amazing offensive season, hitting .318 as a team and scoring 7.5 runs per game. It could have been even better had their star second baseman Nick Madrigal not missed half of the year. Madrigal, who is bound to be a very high draft pick, batted .395 with 2 HR and 27 RBI in his shortened time. Catcher Adley Rutschman hit .391 with 6 HR and 63 RBI this year. Outfielder Trevor Larnach also stands out with a .324 average, 17 HR and 64 RBI. Although the offense steals the show, their pitching is pretty solid too. The team ERA is 3.43 this year.Luke Heimlich aces the staff with a 14-1 record, 2.49 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 104.2 innings pitched. He is also sure to be an early round draft pick. Bryce Fehmel follows closely behind at 9-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 89.2 innings. The bullpen isn’t quite as deep as last season, but it is still above average.
- LSU 37-25 (15-15)
The Tigers finished fourth in the very difficult SEC West. They have a 34 RPI and went 15-16 against regional teams this season. One of those wins happens to be a 9-5 victory over Northwestern State. LSU scored 6 runs per game in the regular season and put up a .285 team average. Outfielders Antoine Duplantis and Daniel Cabrera play a large role in the offense’s success. Duplantis batted .337 with 2 HR and 47 RBI while Cabrera hit .330 with 8 HR and 52 RBI. Austin Bain is a dual threat, hitting .307 with 3 HR and 42 RBI while amassing a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings pitched. The staff only holds a 4.68 ERA, but doesn’t lack talent. Ma’Khail Hilliard leads the team at 9-5 with a 3.79 ERA in 76 innings. Zack Hess had a down year at 7-5 with a 4.43 ERA but still struck out a whopping 101 batters in 89.1 innings.
- San Diego State 39-19 (18-12)
The Aztecs finished second in the Mountain West before winning the conference tournament like they always seem to do. They went 3-2 against regional teams this year and sit at No. 50 RPI. SDSU batted .305 as a team and scored 6.4 runs per game. Outfielder Chase Calabuig leads at .359 with 5 HR and 46 RBI. Infielder Jordan Verdon follows at .341 with 12 HR and 63 RBI. Chad Bible will also play a large role after hitting .333 with 9 HR and 42 RBI in the regular season. The team ERA sits at 3.90. Garrett Hill is the ace, accumulating a 7-2 record and 3.58 ERA in 75.1 innings pitched. Harrison Pyatt follows with a 4-4 mark and 4.44 ERA in 71 innings.
- Northwestern State 37-22 (18-12)
The Demons finished third in the Southland Conference before winning the Southland Conference Tournament. They went 0-3 versus regional teams, including a 9-5 loss at LSU. They are No. 106 in the RPI. Their offense put up a .271 combined average and scored 6 runs per game. Infielder David Fry leads the team at .336 with 12 HR and 55 RBI. Outfielder Kwan Adkins is second at .323 with 2 HR and 24 RBI. The pitching rotation’s solid campaign helped build a team ERA of 3.33. Jerry Maddox is 7-3 with a 2.03 ERA in 80 innings pitched. Ridge Heisler follows at 7-2 with a 3.01 ERA in 89.2 innings. Nathan Jones is 4-6 with a 3.71 ERA in 97 innings pitched.
Prediction:
All of the teams in this regional can swing the bats, so whoever steps up on the mound will be the team that advances. I don’t think SDSU or Northwestern State have the arms to do that. So, it should come down to OSU and LSU. The Beavs have a better team ERA and a deeper staff. Add that to home field advantage and I think it’s their winning formula.
Winner:
Oregon State
