Next up for defending champion Florida, it’s Auburn
The Associated Press
Super regionals are the next stop on the NCAA tournament’s road to Omaha, Neb.The eight best-of-three seriesstarting Friday and Saturday will determine the field forthe College World Series.
In the Friday openers, No. 11 national seed Stetson (4811) visits No. 6 North Carolina (41-18); Mississippi State (35-26) plays at Vanderbilt (34-25); No. 14 Minnesota (4413)will face host No. 3 Oregon State (47-10-1) and Washington (33-23) will oppose Cal State Fullerton (35-23).
The Saturday openers send Auburn (42-21) to No. 1 Florida (45-18); South Carolina (36-24) to No. 5 Arkansas (42-18); Duke (44-16) to No. 9 Texas Tech (42-17 and Tennessee Tech (52-10) to No. 13 Texas (40-20). Some things to know: • Defending national champion and No. 1 national seed Florida has Division I’s longest streak with five consecutive appearances in super regionals. The Gators are looking to become the first back-to-back champion since SouthCarolina in 2010-11.
• Mississippi State is in the super regionals for the third year in a row. Cal State Fullerton, Oregon State and Vanderbilt are in the Round of 16 for the second consecutive year. Florida, Fullerton and Oregon State made it to the CWS in 2017.
•First-time participants are Duke, Minnesota, Stetson and Washington. Auburn cracked the field for these rounds for thefirst time since 1999.
• Teams averaged 6.29 runs per game and batted .281 in regionals, the highest figures since the switch to the toneddown BBCOR bats in 2011. In 40 of the 100 games, one or both teams scored 10 or more runs. A yea agor, that was the casein 25 of 104 games.
• The Southeastern Conference sent a record-tying six teams to super regionals for the second year in a row and third time since 2004. All are matched against each other this time. Florida won two of threeagainst Auburn at home in April; Arkansas won two of three against South Carolina at home in April and beat the Gamecocks last month in the SEC tournament, and Vanderbilt swept three games at Mississippi State in March. None of the teams paired in the other five super regionals metthis season.
• Game 1 of Auburn-Florida features quite a pitching matchup as Auburn sends No. 1 overall draft pick Casey Mize (10-5, 2.95 ERA) against the Gators’ No. 18 pick Brady Singer (11-1, 2.27). The two squared off April 26 in Gainesville, Fla. Both allowed four hits in seven innings, with Mize striking out 10 and Singer eight. Singer got the win, 3-1.
• Duke hopes to get more out of its starting pitchers against Texas Tech. Three of the four starters turned in their shortest outings of the season in the Athens Regional. The bullpen was outstanding, though, with a 1.55 ERA over 29 innings covering five games. Relievers combined to strike out 31 and walk two. Closer Jack Labosky allowed one hit in six shutoutinnings.
• Stetson, led by ace and No. 14 overall draft pick Logan Gilbert, carries a Division Ibest 18-game win streak into its matchup with North Carolina. The Tar Heels have won 16 in a row in Chapel Hill, the second-longest active home win streak (Stetson has won 17in a row at home).
What: NCAA Super Regionals, eight best-of-three series; winners advance to College World Series. When: Friday-Monday. Who: Tennessee Tech vs. Texas (at Austin, Texas), Stetson vs. North Carolina (at Chapel Hill, N.C.), Minnesota vs. Oregon State (at Corvallis, Ore.), South Carolina vs. Arkansas (at Fayetteville, Ark.), Washington vs. Cal State Fullerton (at Fullerton, Calif.), Auburn vs. Florida (at Gainesville, Fla.), Duke vs. Texas Tech (at Lubbock, Texas), Mississippi State vs. Vanderbilt (at Nashville, Tenn.)
TV: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU.