Sports: NCAA region baseball tournaments

NCAA region baseball tournaments

By ANTONYA ENGLISH, BRIAN LANDMAN and JOANNE KORTH

AT STAKE: A trip to an NCAA Super Region, a best-of-three tournament June 1-3.

South Florida

WHEN/WHERE: Today-Sunday, Fleming Stadium, East Carolina University, Wilson, N.C.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE: No. 2 seed Winthrop (46-14-1) vs. No. 3 South Florida (32-29), 3; No. 1 seed East Carolina (44-11) vs. No. 4 Maryland-Baltimore County (31-18-2).

KEY PLAYERS: USF -- Myron Leslie, Fr., 3B (.376, 92 hits, 54 runs); Ben Drawdy, Sr., IF (.342, 43 runs, 11 doubles); Dan Boyd, Sr., OF (.335, 11 HRs, 46 RBI); John Gorham, Jr., P (7-6, 4.02 ERA, 71 strikeouts). Winthrop -- Todd Leathers, Jr., OF/3B (.360, 65 runs, 10 HRs, 60 RBI); Stas Swerdzewski, Jr., C/1B (.330, 11 HRs, 57 RBI); Ben Thurmond, So., RHP (13-3, 3.00 ERA, 139 strikeouts); Jeremy Herauf, Sr., RHP (12-1, 3.42 ERA, 118 strikeouts). ECU -- Bryant Ward, Jr., IF, (.376 22 doubles, 35 RBI); Lee Delfino, Jr., IF (.362, 44 runs, 11 HRs, 50 RBI); Joseph Hastings, Sr., IF (.351, 58 runs, 58 RBI); Jason Mandryk, Jr., RHP (6-1, 2.19 ERA, 44 strikeouts). UMBC -- Scott Kosmicky, So., C (.388, 42 runs, 62 RBI); Chad Gerben, Sr., 2B (.387, 56 runs, 57 RBI); Jared Boyd, Jr., 3B (.382, 53 runs, 39 RBI); Erik Weltmer, Sr., RHP (12-1, 2.72, 82 strikeouts).

WHAT TO EXPECT: South Florida doesn't have the best record in the field, but the Bulls proved they can play. Conference USA teams had 23 wins over Top 20 teams this season, and USF had 10. East Carolina hosts a region for the first time, but the Pirates don't lack experience. ECU is making its third consecutive NCAA appearance, 17th overall and is one of four teams to earn a No. 1 seed each of the past three seasons. Winthrop has advanced to a region for the first time since 1995. The tournament is a sellout, so East Carolina should have a home-field advantage.

WHAT USF HAS TO DO: Re-create last weekend's magic. With its season on the line, USF rallied in the C-USA tournament, battling illness and injury, losing in the championship game. USF has to have much of the same effort this weekend. Senior pitcher Shannon Royal has come alive in his past few games and could be the wild card. Asked for his strategy, coach Eddie Cardieri said: "Win Game 1. That's it. We want to just win Game 1, then go from there."

Florida State

WHEN/WHERE: Today-Sunday; Dick Howser Stadium, Tallahassee.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE: No. 2 seed Auburn (35-19) vs. No. 3 Jacksonville (38-23), 3; No. 1 Florida State (43-17) vs. No. 4 Bethune-Cookman College (26-32), 7.

KEY PLAYERS: Florida State -- John-Ford Griffin, Jr., OF (.458, 18 HRs, 68 RBI); Ryan Barthelemy, Jr., 1B (.332, 14 HRs, 64 RBI); Blair Varnes, Jr., RHP (8-1, 3.54 ERA). Auburn -- Mailon Kent, Sr., OF (.354, 50 RBI); Gabe Gross, Jr., OF (.326, 13 HRs, 65 RBI); Hayden Gliemmo, Sr., LHP (7-1, 2.77 ERA). Jacksonville -- B.J. Weed, Sr., 2B (.382, 50 runs, 29 RBI); Chad Oliva, Jr., C (.335, 19 HRs, 65 RBI); Casey Shumaker, So., RHP (7-5, 1.86 ERA, 12 saves, 113 K's in 722/3 IP). B-CC -- Sharbel Torres, Jr., 2B (.371, 45 runs, 42 RBI); Jose Ramos, Jr., 3B (.337, 7 HRs, 56 RBI); Cesar Montes de Oca, Jr., RHP (7-3, 2.87 ERA).

WHAT TO EXPECT: The Seminoles didn't receive one of the top eight seeds, but they are the top team and host. They're 29-5 at home this season and 15-2 in post-season play at home the past three years. They lost as region hosts in 1997, however, to Auburn.

WHAT FSU HAS TO DO: The Seminoles offense will have to make up for the loss of senior OF Karl Jernigan (out after needing eight stitches to his right, middle finger). Varnes, sophomore LHP Matt Lynch and sophomore RHP Robby Read figure to be solid. But coach Mike Martin will need closer Justin Lord to bounce back from a poor ACC tournament (two runs on five hits in two innings). Defense is another concern, especially up the middle. Second baseman Bryan Zech also is out with a sprained ankle. FSU is using second-stringers at shortstop (junior Scott Toole) and second base (freshman Jeff Probst, a former Clearwater Central Catholic star). Those two have combined for 29 of the team's 109 errors.

Florida and Miami

WHEN/WHERE: Today-Sunday; Mark Light Stadium, Coral Gables.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE: No. 2 Florida (34-25) vs. No. 3 Stetson (41-15), 3:30; No. 1 Miami (44-12) vs. No. 4 Bucknell (31-17), 7.

KEY PLAYERS: Miami -- Javy Rodriguez, Jr., SS (.388, 52 runs, 51 RBI); Mike Rodriguez, Jr., CF (.321, 55 runs, 32 RBI); Tom Farmer, Sr., RHP (12-2, 3.42 ERA, 65 strikeouts). Florida -- Matt Goss, Jr., CF (.359, 11 HRs, 53 RBI); Jason Dill, Sr., 1B (.396, 21 RBI); Kevin Estrada, Jr., SS (.347, 39 RBI, 32 SBs). Stetson -- Bryan Zenchyk, Fr., 1B (.397, 38 runs, 36 RBI); Jeff Christy, Jr., RF (.375, 14 HRs, 49 RBI); Lenny DiNardo, Jr., LHP (10-3, 3.55 ERA, 128 strikeouts). Bucknell -- Russ Lindberg, Sr., 1B (.363, 9 HRs, 57 RBI); Mike Ritz, Sr., OF (.323, 7 HRs, 32 RBI).

WHAT TO EXPECT: Three-time national champ Miami is the tournament's No. 2 seed despite being the top-ranked team in all four national polls (Baseball America, Baseball Weekly/ESPN, Collegiate Baseball and the National College Baseball Writers Association). Florida lost all three meetings with Miami this season by a combined 32-16 and had a 12-game, eight-year win streak against Stetson snapped with a pair of losses. The Hatters, however, lost their final eight games and nine of 10. ... Bucknell earned an automatic bid as Patriot League champ.

WHAT UF HAS TO DO: The Gators came on strong after an 11-13 start, winning 23 of 35 and eight of 13 down the stretch in the Southeastern Conference, the nation's top-rated league. But they never have advanced from a region played in Coral Gables, having been eliminated by the Hurricanes in four of their past five trips. To break the slide, starting pitchers Keith Brice, Jimmy Ramshaw and Alex Hart must cut down on the number of runs allowed, given Ramshaw's 5.65 ERA is the best of the three.