Advertisement

SCHEDULE

Share
<i> Associated Press</i>

Double-elimination first-round format:

TODAY

* Game 1--Oklahoma State (46-19) vs. Alabama (51-14), 12:30 p.m.

* Game 2--Miami (46-13) vs. Rice (58-13), 4:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

* Game 3--Florida State (53-12) vs. Texas A&M; (52-16), 10:30 a.m.

* Game 4--Cal State Fullerton (49-12) vs. Stanford (48-13), 5 p.m.

TEAM CAPSULES BY SEED

1. MIAMI (46-13)

* Coach: Jim Morris (799-332-1, 18th year).

* 1999 record vs. CWS teams: 5-1.

* Last CWS appearance: 1998 (beat Long Beach State; lost to Arizona State; lost to Long Beach State).

* All-time record in CWS: 35-30 (18 appearances).

* Update: Morris has led Hurricanes to CWS in each of his first six seasons. Offense is led by SS Bobby Hill (.378, nine homers, 28 RBIs), who set team career mark with 137 stolen bases, including 50 this season. Former bullpen catcher Greg Lovelady (.354, 4, 35) has filled in nicely for starter Russ Jacobson (.380, 14, 41), who broke arm earlier this season. 1B Kevin Brown (.320) leads team with 20 homers and 59 RBIs. 3B Lale Esquival (.350, 13, 54) tied team record with three homers in regional vs. Bethune-Cookman. OF Manny Crespo (.362) has 12 homers and 52 RBIs. RHP David Gil (11-0, 3.00 ERA) has won 13 straight dating to March 1, 1998. RHP Alex Santos (11-3, 3.10) has 134 strikeouts in 110-plus innings. Closer Michael Neu (3-1, 3.15) has 13 saves.

****

2. FLORIDA STATE (53-12)

* Coach: Mike Martin (1,075-362-3, 20th year).

* 1999 record vs. CWS teams: 1-5.

* Last CWS appearance: 1998 (lost to Arizona State; lost to Long Beach State).

* All-time record in CWS: 19-32 (16 appearances).

* Update: Seminoles in CWS for seventh time in nine years. 2B/3B Marshall McDougall (.422, 25, 98 and 98 runs) ACC player of year, became a national celebrity after setting NCAA records with six homers, 16 RBIs and 25 total bases at Maryland on May 9. Sophomore OF Matt Diaz (.385, 18, 86) is already ninth on school’s career list with 38 homers. Nation’s top pitching staff with 3.01 ERA is led by RHPs Nick Stocks (12-2, 3.09), Jon McDonald (9-2, 3.24) and Blair Varnes (11-1, 3.84), who have all recovered from “Tommy John” surgery. Varnes, however, is out with ruptured left ACL. LHP Mike DiBlasi (2.39, nine saves) and RHP Chris Chavez (6-5, 2.35, five saves) bolster the bullpen.

Advertisement

****

3. CAL STATE FULLERTON (49-12)

* Coach: George Horton (135-53-1, third year).

* 1999 record vs. CWS teams: 2-4.

* Last CWS appearance: 1995 (won College World Series).

* All-time record in CWS: 22-14 (nine appearances).

* Update: Titans have won 19 of last 23 games. Offense is led by OF Spencer Oborn (.401, 14, 79), 3B Ryan Owens (.370, 23, 85) and OF Reed Johnson (.397, 13, 59). Oborn, a transfer from BYU, has gone hitless in just five games and had 37-game hitting streak this season. Team’s 89 homers are just four shy of school record set in 1981 and tied last season. 2B David Bacani, INF Chad Olszanski and RHPs Adam Johnson and Marco Hanlon, suspended for super regionals for rock-throwing incident at regionals, have been reinstated and available for CWS. Adam Johnson (10-3, 3.22) is the ace of Titans’ pitching staff with 133 strikeouts in 111-plus innings. RHP Matt Sorensen (11-0, 4.36), LHP Jon Smith (7-0, 2.71) and closer Kirk Saarloos (7-3, 4.03, six saves) are important members of Titans’ staff.

****

4. OKLAHOMA STATE (46-19)

* Coach: Tom Holliday (132-59, third year).

* 1999 record vs. CWS teams: 0-4.

* Last CWS appearance: 1996 (lost to Alabama; lost to Clemson).

* All-time record in CWS: 38-34 (18 appearances).

* Update: Team won CWS 40 years ago with victory over Arizona. Cowboys have hit 130 homers, fourth most in school history. The potent offense is led by OF Lamont Matthews (.396, 30, 105), SS Billy Gasparino (.372, 24, 90) and OF Jay McCullough (.320, 13, 57). Cowboys are 31-0 when they score 10 or more runs. LHP Matt Smith (9-5, 2.93, 134 strikeouts in 107 2/3 innings) has a sore arm and hasn’t won in six starts. RHP Thom Dreier (8-5, 3.61), RHP Jeremy Krismer (6-0, 5.30) and closer Rusty Rushing (4-1, 2.68, four saves) highlight pitching staff.

****

5. ALABAMA (51-14)

* Coach: Jim Wells (437-177, 10th year).

* 1999 record vs. CWS teams: 2-1.

* Last CWS appearance: 1997 (lost to LSU in championship game).

* All-time record in CWS: 9-8 (four appearances).

* Update: Crimson Tide enters with a school-record 15-game winning streak. SS Andy Phillips (.393, 22, 66) has hit in a team-record 33 straight games.Phillips is school’s home run, RBI and hits leader and tied with Will Clark for third on SEC career home run list. 1B Jeremy Brown (.354, 14, 65) has a 19-game hitting streak. OF G.W. Keller (.392, 15, 67) leads team with 100 hits. RHP Manny Torres (10-2, 4.97) rebounded from two injury-marred seasons and has five complete games. LHP Jonathan Blankenship (10-2, 4.21 ERA), RHP Scott Murphy (7-0, 5.52), LHP Justin Smith (5-4, 5.91) and closer Lance Cormier (5-3, 6.24, 11 saves) round out the staff.

****

6. STANFORD (48-13)

* Coach: Mark Marquess (943-480-5, 23rd year).

* 1999 record vs. CWS teams: 2-1.

* Last CWS appearance: 1997 (beat Auburn; lost to LSU; beat Auburn; lost to LSU).

* All-time record in CWS: 23-18 (10 appearances).

* Update: The Cardinal has won 21 of last 22 games. Pitching staff has set school single-season record with 574 strikeouts.RHP Jason Young (11-3, 3.14) has nine complete games and has struck out school-record 161. RHP Justin Wayne (9-1, 4.92) is 15-1 in two years with the Cardinal. RHP Brian Sager (6-0, 3.98) and LHP Tony Cogan (7-3, 3.18, eight saves) are also keys to staff. 3B Josh Hochgesang (.308, 16, 65) has 45 career homers.1B John Gall (.317, 10, 64) and OF Joe Borchard (.383, 10, 54) are two of school’s top hitters.

****

7. TEXAS A&M; (52-16)

* Coach: Mark Johnson (668-277-2, 15th year).

* 1999 record vs. CWS teams: 4-1.

* Last CWS appearance: 1993 (beat Kansas; lost to LSU; lost to Long Beach State).

* All-time record in CWS: 2-6 (three appearances).

* Update: Aggies shattered school record of 88 homers with 127. The potent lineup is led by OF Daylan Holt, who hit .339 with school-record 34 homers and 105 RBIs. C Shawn Schumacher (.385, 10, 52), 1B John Scheschuk (.368, 10, 53), OF Steve Truitt (.350, 19, 60), SS Steve Scarborough (.332, 6, 41) and 2B Sean Heaney (.332, 11, 48 and team-record 26 doubles) help pace offense. LHP Casey Fossum (12-6, 3.35) set a team record with 158 Ks. LHP Matt Ward (8-0, 3.52) has walked seven in 84 1/3 innings. First-round draft pick RHP Chance Caple (8-5, 4.26) and RHP Chris Russ (12-2, 3.39) have helped team to third-most victories in school history.

****

8. RICE (58-13)

* Coach: Wayne Graham (335-153, eighth year).

* 1999 record vs. CWS teams: 1-0.

* Last CWS appearance: 1997 (lost to LSU; lost to Auburn).

* All-time record in CWS: 0-2 (one appearance).

* Update: Owls lost first game in both regionals and super regionals, and won six straight while facing elimination. OF Will Ford (.403, 11, 70), SS Damon Thames (.377, 9, 68), OF Charles Williams (.368, 7, 49) and 1B Jacob Baker (.322, 5, 49) lead the offensive attack. Pitching staff, led by RHP Jeff Nichols (15-3, 4.94), LHP Mario Ramos (13-2, 2.42), RHP Kenny Baugh (11-2, 2.25) and LHP Jesse Kurtz-Nicholl (7-1, 2.54, eight saves), set team record with 605 strikeouts and was among national leaders with 3.30 ERA. Nichols’ 15 wins and 37 for career are team records.

Advertisement
Advertisement