The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
What to keep an eye on at NCAA super regionals
Super regionals are the next stop on the road to Omaha. The eight best-ofthree series starting Friday and Saturday will determine the field for the College World Series.
Friday openers: Vanderbilt (36-23-1) at No. 1 national seed Oregon State (52-4); Cal State Fullerton (37-21) at Long Beach State (41-18-1); Davidson (35-24) at Texas A&M (39-21); Kentucky (43-21) at No. 7 Louisville (50-10).
Saturday openers: Sam Houston State (44-21) at Florida State (43-21); Mississippi State (40-25) at No. 4 LSU (46-17); Missouri State (43-18) at No. 6 TCU (45-16); Wake Forest (42-18) at No. 3 Florida (45-17). Some things to know: LET’S DO IT AGAIN
Louisville has the nation’s longest streak with five consecutive appearances in super regionals and is trying to get back to the College World Series for the first time since 2014. TCU is in super regionals for the fourth year in a row and going for a fourth straight trip to the CWS. HE CAN DO IT ALL Oregon State second baseman Nick Madrigal is Pac-12 player of the year and batting .380 with 18 doubles, four homers, 34 RBIs and a team-leading 15 steals on 17 attempts. He’s had a deep bone bruise for almost a month since getting hit by a pitch on his left hand and was just 1 for 8 in the first two games of regionals. So he adjusted. He went 4 for 4 in the final against Yale — and every hit was a bunt single. GOING IN STYLE Sam Houston State achieved a first by making super regionals . Other milestones for a school that’s been playing baseball since 1906: the 740-mile trip to Florida State is the farthest the Bearkats will have traveled for a game, and the journey to Tallahassee is their program’s first by airplane. BIG WEST IS BIG DEAL With Cal State Fullerton playing at Long Beach State, the Big West is assured of having a team in the College World Series for a fourth straight season. It’s the first time two Big West teams have met in super regionals. Long Beach State, the conference champion, was 5-1 against the Titans in the regular season.