All but one of the 16 regionals have completed two days of action (Friday's games were postponed in the Charlottesville Regional, so no team has been eliminated yet and no team is 2-0 yet in that one). Since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1999, teams that have won the first two games of their regionals have gone on to win the regional more than 80 percent of the time. Last year's results were right in line with that figure: 13 of the 16 teams that started 2-0 went on to win regionals (81 percent).
We'll get to highlights below, but first here's a quick breakdown of which teams are sitting pretty in their regionals, and which have been eliminated:
Teams that are 2-0:
• Eight No. 1 seeds (including six national seeds, indicated in parentheses): (1) Florida, (2) UCLA, (3) Florida State, (5) Oregon, (7) Louisiana State, (8) South Carolina, Arizona, Stanford.
• Four No. 2 seeds: Arkansas, Central Florida, Dallas Baptist, Vanderbilt.
• Three No. 3 seeds: Kent State, Mississippi, St. John's.
Teams that have been eliminated:
• One No. 1 seed: Miami.
• Two No. 2 seeds: New Mexico State, San Diego.
• Four No. 3 seeds: Belmont, Indiana State, Michigan State, Texas-Arlington.
• Eight No. 4 seeds: Alabama-Birmingham, Bethune-Cookman, Cornell, Dayton, Manhattan, Prairie View A&M, Sacred Heart, Valparaiso.
Conference breakdown:
• Six of the eight SEC teams are 2-0. The other two, Mississippi State and Kentucky, are still alive. Overall, SEC teams are 14-2.
• Four of the five Pac-12 teams in the tournament are 2-0. The fifth, Oregon State, is still alive. Pac-12 teams are 9-1.
• Just one of the six ACC teams that have completed two days of regional play is 2-0: Florida State. (Virginia is 1-0). But six of the seven are still alive, with Miami the only exception. ACC teams are 7-6.
• One of the four Conference USA teams is 2-0: UCF. Three of the four are still alive (UAB is out). C-USA teams are 4-4.
• None of the four Big 12 teams are 2-0, but all four are still alive. Big 12 teams are 3-4.
• Two mid-majors are 2-0: St. John's (Big East) and Kent State (MAC).
• The lone independent team in the tournament is 2-0: Dallas Baptist.
On to the regional-by-regional rundown:
Baton Rouge Regional
Kevin Gausman (8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) improved to 11-1 in LSU's 7-1 win against Oregon State. The Beavers will face Louisiana-Monroe in Sunday's elimination game, as the fourth-seeded Warhawks knocked out Belmont, 6-3. ULM broke a 3-3 tie with three in the eighth, capped by Jeremy Sy's two-run homer.
Chapel Hill Regional
St. John's stunned top-seeded North Carolina with a 5-4 win on Danny Bethea's walk-off three-run homer in the ninth against usually untouchable closer Michael Morin. UNC will face East Carolina in an elimination game after the Pirates rapped out 15 hits in a 10-6 win against Cornell. For more on both games, see John Sandberg's report from Chapel Hill.
Charlottesville Regional
In the resumption of the suspended game between top-seeded Virginia and fourth-seeded Army, Branden Cogswell and Stephen Bruno combined for seven RBIs in support of Branden Kline (5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K), leading UVa. to a 9-1 win. In the second game, No. 3 Appalachian State held off No. 2 Oklahoma's late rally to win 5-4. Ryan Arrowood (7.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K) out-dueled Jordan John (8 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K), and OU left the tying run at second base to end its three-run ninth. The Sooners and Black Knights will meet in an elimination game to kick off Sunday's tripleheader.
College Station Regional
Ole Miss knocked around Ross Stripling (7.2 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 10 K) and got a strong start out of Mike Mayers (6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K) to upset top-seeded Texas A&M, 6-3. Tanner Mahis (3-for-3, 3 R, 2 2B) and Matt Snyder (2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI) led the Ole Miss offense. The Aggies will face TCU in Sunday's elimination game after the Horned Frogs bashed their way past Dayton, 28-12. Jerrick Suiter (5-for-6, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 3B) led TCU's 23-hit attack. The Frogs actually trailed 9-6 in the fifth inning before exploding for 22 runs over the final four innings.
Columbia Regional
The first meeting between South Carolina and Clemson in a regional since 1980 lived up to the hype. L.B. Dantzler's walk-off RBI single off the right-field wall in the 12th inning capped an emotional, drama-packed 5-4 win for the Gamecocks. The Tigers had taken a 3-2 lead with three runs in the seventh against Michael Roth (6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER), and Brad Felder's mammoth homer in the eighth made it 4-2. But the Gamecocks rallied for a run in the eighth, and Joey Pankake tied the game with an RBI single in the ninth. Chase Vergason tried to score the winning run from second on that play, but he was thrown out at the plate by Thomas Brittle, on a play that saw both Vergason and catcher Spencer Kieboom racing back toward the plate after Vergason's slide overshot it. South Carolina nearly won it again in the 10th, as Adam Matthews missed his second home run of the game by maybe an inch, instead having to settle for a double off the very top of the wall (and getting stranded). But the South Carolina bullpen kept the Tigers in check until Dantzler could drive in Pankake with the winning run in the 12th.
Clemson will face Coastal Carolina in an elimination game after the Chanticleers knocked out Manhattan, 11-1, behind Tyler Herb (9 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K).
Coral Gables Regional
Host Miami was blown out for the second consecutive day, 12-2 by Missouri State, which knocked Steven Ewing out of the game with seven runs in the first. Pierce Johnson (8 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) cruised with the early lead, sending the Hurricanes packing after an ugly 0-2 showing—its first 0-2 performance in a regional since 1993.
In the winners' bracket game, Central Florida held off resilient Stony Brook to win 9-8. The Seawolves stormed back from an early 5-0 deficit to tie the game at 5-5, but Jeramy Matos put UCF back ahead with a three-run homer in the sixth. Chris Taladay's sacrifice fly in the seventh proved crucial, as Stony Brook rallied for three more in the eighth—but left the tying run in scoring position in both the eighth and the ninth.
Eugene Regional
In the highly anticipated showdown between George Horton and his former assistant Rick Vanderhook, Oregon jumped out to a 5-0 lead through two innings against Dylan Floro (7 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER) and held on for a 7-5 win over Cal State Fullerton. The Titans made things interesting with five runs in the fifth against Alex Keudell (7 IP, 4 H, 5 ER), highlighted by Michael Lorenzen's three-run homer, but Jimmie Sherfy (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R) protected Oregon's late lead for his 18th save.
The Titans face Austin Peay State in Sunday's elimination game, as the Governors knocked out third-seeded Indiana State, 1-0. Andy Cox (7 IP, 3 H, 0 R) out-dueled Seth Manaea (7.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 9 K).
Gainesville Regional
Mike Zunino's leadoff homer in the fourth broke a 1-1 tie and sparked Florida's three-run rally, and Florida went on to a 6-2 win against Georgia Tech. Hudson Randall (5.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) and Steven Rodriguez (3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER) held the potent Tech offense to just two runs despite giving up 12 hits. The Yellow Jackets will play an elimination game Sunday against College of Charleston, which knocked out Bethune-Cookman, 8-2, behind Matt Pegler (9 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K).
Gary Regional
Both teams that battled for 21 innings Friday bounced back to win Saturday. Kentucky won its elimination game against Valparaiso, 8-1, behind Jerad Grundy (6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K) and Chandler Shepherd (3 IP, 2 H, 0 R). Kent State advanced to a regional final for the second straight year with a 7-3 win against top-seeded Purdue. The Golden Flashes took control with five runs in the second to chase Lance Breedlove, and Ryan Bores (9 IP, 9 H, 3 ER) took it from there. Kentucky might have the edge in Sunday's elimination game, as it will hand the ball to lefty Corey Littrell, who has been the Wildcats' best starter (despite pitching on Sundays) all season.
Houston Regional
Ryne Stanek (7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K) won a fine pitcher's duel against Austin Kubitza (7.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K), as Arkansas topped Rice 1-0. The Razorbacks scratched across an unearned run without the benefit of a hit in the second, and they won the game despite mustering just two hits in all. Rice has enough quality pitching (Matthew Reckling, Andrew Benak and Taylor Wall are all still fresh) to make a run through the losers' bracket. That run will have to start with an elimination game against Sam Houston State, which beat Prairie View 4-2 behind Justin Jackson (8 IP, 2 R, 0 ER). Colt Atwood drove in three of SHSU's four runs.
Los Angeles Regional
Nick Vander Tuig (8 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K) carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning and set a career high for strikeouts, leading UCLA to a dominating 7-1 win against New Mexico. The Bruins out-hit the Lobos 17-2, as 11 different Bruins recorded hits, led by Cody Keefer (3-for-3, 2 R, RBI). Here's my report on Vander Tuig's gem. The Lobos will face Creighton in Sunday's elimination game, as the Bluejays sent San Diego Packing, 8-2. Read more about that game here.
Palo Alto Regional
Stanford earned a bizarre 5-4 win against Pepperdine in the winners' bracket. The Waves built a 4-0 lead to chase Brett Mooneyham (2.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER) in the third, but Stanford tied the game with three in the sixth, as three runners wound up coming around to score on a wild pitch, which was followed by a throwing error by the catcher. Kenny Diekroeger then broke the 4-4 tie with an RBI double in the eighth. Dean McArdle (3 IP, 2 H, 0 R) and A.J. Vanegas (3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K) turned in strong relief.
Pepperdine will face Fresno State in the losers' bracket after the Bulldogs knocked out Michigan State, 8-2. Mike Lemaire had more on that one.
Raleigh Regional
Vanderbilt overcame deficits of 6-1 and 8-3 in the final three innings to stun North Carolina State, 9-8. Jim Shornerd has all the details. The Wolfpack will face UNC Wilmington in Sunday's elimination game after the Seahawks pounded Sacred Heart 13-4. Clint Longenecker recapped that one.
Tallahassee Regional
Florida State broke up a 1-0 game with three runs in the sixth, and James Ramsey salted it away with a seventh-inning grand slam, propelling the Seminoles to an 8-1 win against Josh Martin (6.2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER) and Samford. Brandon Leibrandt (8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K) turned in a gem for FSU.
Samford now faces a rematch against Mississippi State, which cruised to an 8-1 win in the elimination game against UAB. Caleb Reed (4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) turned in a vintage performance to earn his ninth save.
Tucson Regional
Arizona followed up Friday's 15-run outburst against Missouri with a 16-4 win against Louisville. Pac-12 player of the year Alex Mejia (5-for-5, 4 R, 3 RBI) spearheaded Arizona's 23-hit barrage in support of Konner Wade (8 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K).
The Cardinals will face Missouri in the elimination game Sunday. The Tigers got a solid start from Rob Zastryzny (6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) and erased a 2-1 deficit with five runs in the eighth to knock out New Mexico State, 6-2.
Waco Regional
Dallas Baptist has started 2-0 in a regional for the second straight year. The second-seeded Patriots built an early 7-0 lead and held on for an 11-8 win against fourth-seeded Oral Roberts. Duncan McAlpine (3-for-5, 5 RBI, HR) led the DBU attack.
ORU faces a rematch against top-seeded Baylor in Sunday's elimination game. The Bears broke open a close game in the final three innings to beat Texas-Arlington, 11-6. Josh Ludy (4-for-4, 3 R, 2 RBI) hit his 15th home run and his 14th double to lead the Baylor offense.
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Still mad about Miami hosting! Swept 3 times during regular season. Swept twice at HOME. SIXTH place finish in conference. Can you really be surprised that they were swept out of Regional? Ridiculous host selection!
Posted by 9 and 1 | June 3, 2012 at 4:34 am | ShortcutMiami should have never been a #1 seed in the first place. To me, all the real #1 seeds are still in the tourney.
Posted by Chris | June 3, 2012 at 6:54 am | ShortcutGreat job NCAA! As Coach Green said" Miami, East Carolina and Michigan State are who we thought they are"!!!!
Posted by Todd | June 3, 2012 at 5:22 pm | Shortcut