NCAA Regional Preview: Atlanta

By Will Kimmey
June 2, 2005

Televised by ESPNU

1. Georgia Tech 42-16, automatic, won Atlantic Coast regular season and tournament, No. 2 national seed, 22nd NCAA tournament, sixth consecutive appearance
2. South Carolina 38-21, at-large, sixth in Southeastern Conference, 21st NCAA tournament, sixth consecutive appearance
3. Michigan 41-17, at-large, tied for fourth in Big 10, 18th NCAA tournament
4. Furman 30-27, automatic, won Southern Conference tournament, fifth NCAA tournament

Player To Watch: Shortstop Tyler Greene leads Georgia Tech in runs (74), homers (12) and RBIs (69), but freshman Matt Wieters might be the team's best hitter because of his ability to make two-strike adjustments. He batted .449/.528/.766 in ACC play, delivering seven of his 12 home runs and 43 of his 69 RBIs in the games that mattered most. Wieters shifted between first base, catcher and DH while also posting the team's best ERA at 2.68 and recording six saves as the closer.

The Favorite: Wieters is hardly the only threat in a Georgia Tech lineup that scored 9.7 runs per game, the best of any team in the tournament. Seven starters compiled on-base percentages of at least .441, including Greene (.370/.457/.605) and third baseman Wes Hodges (.404/.477/.588). Junior outfielder/DH Jeremy Slayden (.349/.451/.570) has missed the last three weeks after having a cyst removed from his foot but should return for regionals. The Yellow Jackets normally score enough that the 4.41 team ERA doesn’t matter, though sophomores Blake Wood (9-1, 3.49) and Ryan Turner (7-2, 3.00) each have thrown well during the second half.

On The Other Hand: It's been a battle this year for South Carolina, a team that has reached Omaha the last three seasons. The offense has struggled to score (5.2 runs in SEC play) because hitters not named Steve Pearce (.344-19-58) have failed to replicate their past success, and no one has made up for the loss of catcher Landon Powell on offense or in the locker room. The Gamecocks still have a staff that throws strikes fronted by senior righties Aaron Rawl and Zac McCamie, and power-armed lefty Arik Hempy has shown signs of life lately after struggling for the past year. Experience, guts and coaching give South Carolina a shot at an upset.

Bracket Buster: Don't consider the fourth-place team from a Northern conference as a joke regional participant. Michigan beat Florida Atlantic, Georgia, North Carolina and Notre Dame in nonconference games because of a deep, experienced pitching staff fronted by senior righthanders Jim Brauer (7-2, 2.34) and Michael Penn (7-2, 2.83). Junior second baseman Chris Getz (.389) and junior catcher Jeff Kunkel (.390) head a lineup that batted .319 collectively with gap power. Kunkel and junior outfielder Mike Schmidt are named after former major leaguers but aren’t related to them.

Don't Forget About: Furman swept its final conference series against Davidson just to make the league tournament, then breezed through that event to ride a seven-game win streak into NCAAs. The Paladins knocked off Tennessee once and South Carolina twice in midweek games, so they won't serve as a walk-over. Cincinnati’s Moeller High has produced Barry Larkin, Ken Griffey Jr. and North Carolina State freshman ace Andrew Brackman, whose prep teammate, 6-foot-4 righthander Ben Hunter, has also developed into a freshman ace. Hunter was 6-3, 4.06 with 87 strikeouts and 29 walks in 63 innings for Furman.