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, starting Friday (coaches’ records and years coached are at Division I schools):

Complete Super Regional Capsules 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: beat South Alabama 9-2, beat Notre Dame 8-1, lost to Notre Dame 7-0, beat Notre Dame 10-9. Clemson won Clemson, S.C., regional: beat Middle Tenn. St. 4-0, beat Illinois 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), OF Phillip Willingham (.317, 8, 33). Clemson: RHP Ryan Mottl (9-3), RHP Scott Berney (9-4), RHP Jarrod Schmidt (9-0), RHP Nick Glaser (14 saves), 3B Khalil Greene (.361, 5, 61), SS Jeff Baker (.320, 11, 61), Casey Stone (.359, 1, 47), OF Patrick Boyd (.285, 2, 44).

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 Tech 8-3, beat Loyola Marymount 13-5, beat Cal State Fullerton 8-3. Georgia Tech won Atlanta regional: beat Georgia Southern 11-9, beat Stetson 24-1, beat Stetson 16-11. COACHES: USC, Mike Gillespie (560-311-2, 14th year). Georgia Tech, Danny Hall (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 Beau Craig (.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 Richard Lewis (.406, 4, 51), C-1B Bryan Prince (.395, 8, 77).

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: beat Bethune-Cookman 6-3, lost to Central Florida 9-8, beat Evansville 11-2, beat Central Florida 6-1, beat Central Florida 8-1. Florida St. won Tallahassee, Fla., regional: beat Wagner 19-5, beat Florida Atlantic 11-5, beat Florida International 14-4. COACHES: Miami, Jim Morris, (843-349-2, 19th year). Florida St., Mike Martin (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), RHP Blair Varnes (10-2), LHP Mike DiBlasi (2-1), LHP Matt Lynch (7-0), OF John-Ford Griffin (.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).

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), 2B Mike 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 to North 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, beat Arizona St. 9-7. COACHES: Penn St., Joe Hindelang (438-389-3, 18th year). Texas, Augie Garrido (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), OF Michael 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 Chris Wright (.374, 9, 58). Texas: RHP Beau Hale (11-5), LHP D.J. Jones (12-5), LHP Phil 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), SS Todd 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: beat McNeese St. 11-5, beat East Carolina 5-3, beat East Carolina 8-5. South Carolina 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). South Carolina, Ray Tanner (562-246-3, 13th year). TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (LAST): Louisiana-Lafayette, seven (1999). South Carolina, 16 (1998). PLAYERS TO WATCH: Louisiana-Lafayette: RHP Scott Dohmann (11-5), LHP Justin Gabriel (9-2), LHP Nick Webb (7-2), RHP Aaron Welbourne (1-0, eight saves), 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 Tripp Kelly (.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, beat Alabama 16-6. COACHES: Nebraska, Dave Van Horn (222-118, sixth year). Stanford, Mark Marquess (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 stolen bases), RHP Shane Komine (11-3, broken jaw), LHP Jamie Rodrigue (9-3), RHP Thom Ott (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), 3B John 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 Florida 4-1, beat SW Texas St. 5-2, lost to Florida 8-7, beat Florida 3-1. Houston won Houston regional: beat Princeton 7-6, beat Rice 5-2, lost to Rice 5-4, beat Rice 9-5. COACHES: San Jose St., Sam Piraro (452-342-2, 14th year). Houston, Rayner Noble (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), OF Junior 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,