Rice and Texas A&M matchup in the Super Regionals

Coaching Changes

Two SEC head coaches who participated in the 2005 College World Series have recently been let go by their respective clubs. Former Tennessee coach Rod Delmonico, who was fired on Sunday, and former Florida coach Pat McMahon, who was released today, will have to look for new jobs, mainly due to their teams’ failures to make the NCAA postseason for two straight years.

“Earlier today I informed coach Rod Delmonico of my intention to take the baseball program in a different direction,” UT Athletic Director Mike Hamilton said in a statement. “I appreciate the job Rod has done for the University of Tennessee. During his tenure, three appearances in the College World Series, a number of great wins and numerous great players have provided our fans with many fond memories.

“In recent years, however, we have lacked the consistency in Southeastern Conference regular season and NCAA postseason play that is expected of all our programs at the University of Tennessee. I did not have a clear indication that would change in the near future.

“We all wish Coach Delmonico well in the future, and a national search will begin immediately for a new head baseball coach.”

It is a similar story for Florida’s now-former head coach. After reaching the championship series against Texas in 2005, the Gators have failed to make the NCAA tournament the past two years. Florida AD Jeremy Foley cited McMahon’s lack of vision for his young club’s future as the main reason for the firing.

“After an honest and open evaluation, I felt a change in leadership was necessary to have the baseball program be in a position to consistently rank among the nation’s best,” Foley said. “We certainly appreciate everything that Pat has done for the program, but it is time to move in a different direction. We thank him for all of his efforts and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. We will begin a national search immediately.”

McMahon probably got a bit of a raw deal considering the amount of success the Gators have had in their biggest draws, football and basketball. Nonetheless, whoever takes over the team McMahon leaves behind will inherit a collection of young players with raw talent. It will be interesting to see if McMahon’s replacement can hone that talent and guide the team to another run like their 2005 season.

Regional Rehash

The 2007 NCAA postseason has been anything but predictable so far, once again proving that in college baseball, anything can—and usually does—happen.

Michigan shocked the nation with its Regional victory over national No. 1 seed Vanderbilt. Adding insult to injury, the clinching run was a 10th inning blast by Alan Oaks, a pinch-hitter who was batting .188 entering Monday. But that wasn’t the real heartbreaker.

The homer was given up by Vandy ace and No. 1 pick of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft David Price, pitching in relief for the ‘Dores.

And so the dream ends for the team everyone expected to be playing for the College World Series title—heck, the team who was the unanimous favorite to win it all. In a season where the Commodores seemed to find a way to win every time their backs were against the wall, when it counted most, they finally fell short.

“I hurt for the kids,” Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said. “You come this far and you play so well, you just want to see them take it as far as they can. This is tough, this is tough. I hurt for them. I really do.”

It is a disappointing end to a season no one could have ever predicted. The Commodores seemed to come out of nowhere, winning the hearts of the nation and spurring analysts to proclaim that this team had no holes. They end their season knowing they should have advanced. Vanderbilt was clearly the best team in this Regional.

Should have and could have and would have do not count in college baseball, however. The ‘Dores will now be watching the College World Series from home, instead of playing in Omaha themselves.

Vanderbilt’s fall was not the only upset in Regional action, however. UC Irvine downed national No. 4 seed Texas, a perennial powerhouse and the favorite of the Round Rock, TX Regional. National No. 6 seed Florida State disappointed as well, as they were knocked out by Mississippi State. The team’s flaws were finally exposed, so there will be no trip to Omaha for a team that seemed so promising with a 23-0 record to begin the season.

The ACC was a big letdown in general this year, as only two of the seven teams that received bids are still alive, national No. 3 seed North Carolina and Clemson. The Tar Heels will be hosting a Super Regional for the first time in the school’s history, while this year marks the first time in 14 years of coaching at Miami that Jim Morris’ team has lost a regional.

The disappointment of the ACC’s showing was mirrored in the performance of the national seeds, as only three of those eight teams remain in the running for Omaha: No. 2 Rice, No. 3 North Carolina, and No. 5 Arizona State.

Omaha Express

If beating the nation’s No. 1 team wasn’t enough, Michigan will have an equally tough challenge in their Super Regional as they take on host Oregon State, the defending national champion. The Beavers have advanced to their third straight Super Regional, quite a feat for any team in college baseball. Weeks ago, no one could have predicted that OSU would still be playing this weekend, after they limped into the postseason by a hair. But the opportunity has given them new life, and they will be a tough challenge for the underdog Wolverines.

While much of the talk surrounding the Regional action has been about the fall of Vanderbilt, the real story of the tournament so far has been Louisville’s run. The Cardinals beat Miami and Missouri twice to advance to a Super Regional in just their second NCAA tournament appearance. It is a postseason full of firsts for Louisville, who will be hosting Oklahoma State this weekend. If you’re looking for the Cinderella of this postseason, the Cardinals are it.

One subject that has caused some debate was Mississippi State getting the bid to host over Clemson. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise, however. MSU has one of the most passionate fan bases in college baseball, and they always turn out in great numbers, so the atmosphere will be great at this Super Regional. Add in to that the fact that Bulldogs AD Larry Templeton heads the committee, and, well, this was practically a no-brainer. The Tigers have their work cut out for them if they want to get to Omaha.

The most enthralling match-up this weekend will be the Super Regional battle of the Carolinas. National No. 3 seed North Carolina will host South Carolina in a series that is sure to be packed with drama. The Tar Heels have the pitching, but the Gamecocks are loaded with great hitters. It will be interesting to see which wins out—UNC’s arms, or USC’s bats. It all depends on whether the ‘Cocks big boppers can get in the zone; they’ve gone slightly cold as of late. But when they’re locked in, that lineup can be mighty scary.

The Heels pitching is equally intimidating, however. I give the advantage to UNC because of home field advantage and the strength of their pitching. The Gamecocks have had too much trouble in the SEC to overcome one of the ACC’s best teams.

Here is the complete line-up for this year’s Super Regionals, with my picks in bold:

Texas A&M @ Rice
Oklahoma State @ Louisville
Clemson @ Mississippi State
South Carolina @ North Carolina

Michigan @ Oregon State
UCLA @ Cal State Fullerton
UC Irvine @ Wichita State
Mississippi @ Arizona State

Looks like a near-wash for the hosts, but there is more to it than that. Rice is just too good for TAMU, though I wouldn’t mind seeing an upset here, as the Aggies are an exciting bunch. As for the Louisville pick, you’ve gotta go with Cinderella, right? Clemson will be no match for MSU at Duty-Noble Field. While I expect the Battle of the Carolinas to be exciting, in the end I just don’t think the Gamecocks match up very well with the Tar Heels.

On the other side of the bracket, Michigan will be overmatched against the defending champs. The UCLA vs. CSF match-up might be the tightest of the bunch, but the edge goes to Cal State Fullerton here. UC Irvine seems like a team on a mission at this stage of the game. And Arizona State has the best offense in the tournament, especially with power-hitting first baseman Brett Wallace.

This weekend is it. Sixteen teams remain alive; only eight will make it to the pinnacle of college baseball, the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. The journey begins today.

Keep an eye out this weekend for a special 2007 Draft edition of The Ping of the Bat!

Have a question or comment for Shannon? Email her at shannonmccarthy@sportsgrumblings.com.