The Other Bracket
The teams in the other bracket are less likely to cross paths with Arizona Baseball unless the Wildcats make it to the championship, but we will take a look at the impact players on each team, listed in order of national rank.
#2 Texas Longhorns (47-15 overall, 2-5 at neutral sites)
The Longhorns have an average to a slightly below-average offense with some of the best pitching stats in the field. The Longhorns are the top-ranked team in the nation still left in the field, and, accordingly, they are considered a favorite to win the championship.
Offense
The Texas offense is around average in most categories, and they probably slot in a little below average overall (compared to the other seven teams in Omaha). No category sticks out other than their 85 stolen bases, which are second to Vanderbilt (86).
Three names that stand out are infielders Ivan Melendez (.321 batting average, 1.046 OPS, and 12
home runs), Cam Williams (.303 batting average, 1.020 OPS, and 11 home runs), and Zach Zubia (.300 batting average, .939 OPS, and 10 home runs).
Pitching
Texas has a field-best team ERA of 2.89 and the second-ranked BAA at .213. Their total strikeouts and K/BB are both below average, but the Texas defense is tied for second in fielding percentage at .980, so they help keep the runs against low.
Three Texas starters have an ERA below 3.00 and over 80 innings pitched: Pete Hansen (9-1, 1.84 ERA, and .200 BAA), Ty Madden (7-4, 2.41 ERA, 1.89 BAA, and 119 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings), and Tristan Stevens (11-3, 2.97 ERA, and .233 BAA).
Out of the bullpen Cole Quintanilla, Aaron Nixon, and Tanner Witt each have over 20 appearances, an ERA no higher than 3.06, and more strikeouts than innings pitched, led by Witt with 71 strikeouts in 50 innings.
#3 Tennessee Volunteers (50-16 overall, 5-2 at neutral sites)
The third-ranked Volunteers have an above-average offense with a field-high 98 homeruns and an average to a slightly above-average pitching staff. The Volunteers are formidable across the board, and they will be a tough matchup for any team in the field.
Offense
The Volunteer offense mixes high-average, low-power players with the opposite, low-average, big-power players. Three players with over 100 at-bats are batting over .280 with single-digit home runs, and five players are batting .275 or lower with double-digit home runs.
Players that stand out are infielder Liam Spence (.339 batting average, 53 walks, and a .943 OPS, with a .477 on-base percentage!!), infielder Jake Rucker (.331 batting average, .926 OPS, and nine home runs), and outfielder Jordan Beck (.270 batting average, .855 OPS, and 15 home runs).
Pitching
The Volunteer pitching staff has the highest K/BB ratio in the field at 3.72, but a large portion of their success comes from the bullpen. The three starters with over 10 starts all have ERA’s over 3.50, and only junior Chad Dallas has more strikeouts than innings pitched.
The bullpen, however, features three players with more than 10 relief appearances who have more strikeouts than innings pitched. This group is led by senior Sean Hunley, who has thrown 71 innings over 33 appearances and has 75 strikeouts. He also leads the team with nine saves.
#7 Mississippi State Bulldogs (45-16 overall, 3-3 at neutral sites)
The Bulldogs are another team below average among the field in most categories that finds a way to win. They came into postseason play ranked seventh in the country. The Bulldogs also have a few infectious players who fans could either love or hate in Jordan and Sims, mentioned below.
Offense
The Bulldog offense is a good example of how “below average” in the CWS isn’t that bad. They are close to the average of the field in most offensive categories, and a few players stand out in their performance. Outfielder Tanner Allen leads the team in batting average (.392), hits (91), and OPS (1.097).
Outfielder Rowdey Jordan, along with having the best name in the CWS, has a .326 batting average and found all the round numbers, with 20 doubles, 10 home runs, and an even 1.000 OPS coming into the CWS.
Pitching
The Bulldog pitching staff is a sit-down factory, as every pitcher who has thrown over 13 innings has more strikeouts than innings pitched. The Bulldogs have 744 strikeouts as a team, 45 more than second-place Vanderbilt.
The big arm to watch for is closer Landon Sims. I got a chance to see Sims pitch in the super-regional, and he brings a mid-90s fastball and a slider with a sharp bite. The tv announcers said that Sims was the best bullpen arm in the country, and I would believe that from seeing him once. The stats back it up, as he has a 1.55 ERA, .154 BAA, and 85 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings.
Virginia Cavaliers (35-25 overall, 7-2 at neutral sites)
The Cavaliers don’t seem to fit in this field based on the stats. While the pitching staff is formidable and above-average in the field, every offensive stat falls well short of the average other than their 63 stolen bases. They are here, though, and that means they have what it takes to win in big spots and advance through the tournament.
Offense
Virginia’s offense has a batting average 17 points lower than any other team, to go along with 14 fewer runs scored, 15 fewer home runs, and an OPS 83(!!!!) points lower than any other team in the field. They do not match up offensively with any other team in Omaha.
Freshman catcher/infielder Kyle Teel is the only Cavalier batting over .300 or with an OPS over .900 (.320 and .920, respectively). He is also tied for the team lead in home runs with infielder Zack Gelof, each with nine. Gelof has been very formidable in his own right, batting .298 with a team-high 16 doubles.
Pitching
Starter Andrew Abbot seems to be a bona fide ace, with a 3.04 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 100 2/3
innings, but the rest of the top performances come from the bullpen. Seven pitchers with at least 15 relief appearances have more strikeouts than innings pitched, led by Blake Bales with 54 strikeouts in 38 innings (and a 0.73 ERA) and Stephen Schoch with 52 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings pitched.
– College World Series breakdown brought to you by incoming Zona Zealots contributor, Daniel Hepner