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SCS.com The Nashville Regional is headlined by the top-seeded team in this year's bracket, the homestanding Vanderbilt Commodores. Joining the SEC regular season and tournament champs in Nashville will be in-state foes Memphis and Austin Peay, as well as second-seeded Michigan. The winner of the Nashville bracket will take on the survivor from Charlottesville. That regional, hosted by Virginia, includes defending national champion Oregon State, as well as both Rutgers and Lafayette. Will the number one overall seed live up to expectations? Will the defending champs pose a threat? Those questions and more will be answered in the weeks ahead.

NASHVILLE REGIONAL
vs Charlottesville Regional

The Field

(1) Vanderbilt (51-11, 22-8 SEC) [#1]

After winning the SEC regular season as well as their conference tournament, #1 ranked Vandy owns the #1 national seed. The Commodores showed their toughness when after they lost their first game in the SEC Tourney, they fought back and won five straight to win the championship. David Price, Pedro Alvarez, Casey Weathers, and Ryan Flaherty are Tim Corbin�s best players, but everyone else in the lineup and pitching staff performs exceptionally.
(2) Michigan (39-16, 21-7 Big 10)

The Big 10 regular season champ Michigan Wolverines garnered an at-large bid and will face Memphis in the first game. Wolverine batters have had success this year, as seen with their team batting average of .337. The Michigan pitching staff has also been pretty good, with each starter having an ERA less than 4. Michigan�s best player is Zach Putnam, who hits and pitches for the Wolverines. Nate Recknagel and Mike Wilson are also solid ballplayers for the Big 10 squad.
(3) Memphis (36-25, 12-12 CUSA)

The Tigers are one of a few other teams that created controversy when they received a bid into the NCAA Tourney. Memphis went 3-2 in the Conference USA tournament and evidently that was enough for the NCAA committee to put them in. The Tigers aren�t a very flashy team, but they have gotten the job done for the most part this season. The team ERA is at 5.68, which isn�t very solid. Memphis� best players are Michael Murray, Bill Moss, Joey Lieberman, and Matt Yokley.
(4) Austin Peay (39-20, 19-8 OVC)

The Governors won the automatic bid for the Ohio Valley Conference and will now have the pleasure of facing top ranked Vanderbilt. Austin Peay played the Commodores twice during the regular season, with the last meeting being a close game in which Vandy had to rally in the 9th inning to win. In a way, their last game against the Dores gives them confidence heading into Friday�s matchup. Shane Kelley, Tyler Farrar, Jake Lane, and Will Hogue are Austin Peay�s better players.

The Venue

The home diamond of the #1 nationally seeded Commodores is Hawkins Field, located adjacent to the football field on the Vanderbilt campus. With the addition of new bleachers in the outfield, seating capacity for the stadium has been raised by more than half. A distinction of Hawkins Field is the �green monster� wall they have in left field, whose dimension is 310 feet. The city of Nashville, also known as the �Music City�, is home to the best team in the nation. Country music is the industry of Nashville, and that�s why it�s called the �Music City�.

The Best

Starting Pitcher - David Price, Vanderbilt - This choice was a no brainer, as David Price is the best pitcher in college baseball as well as the likely #1 pick in the upcoming MLB draft. With a record of 11-0 and a 2.71 ERA along with 175 strikeouts in only 123 innings, Price has dominated his competition this year.
Runner-up: Shawn Kelley, Austin Peay

Relief Pitcher - Casey Weathers, Vanderbilt - This guy is the pitcher that opponents don�t want to see. With a fastball that reaches the mid to high 90s along with a plus breaking ball, Weathers might be the best closer in the nation. Vandy�s closer boasts an 11-2 record, a 2.64 ERA, and 7 saves.
Runner-up: Matt Yokley, Memphis

Infielder - Ryan Flaherty, Vanderbilt - Nicknamed �Flash�, the Commodore shortstop is one of the most fundamentally sound players in the nation. He rarely makes errors and is a very good hitter for Tim Corbin�s squad. Flaherty�s numbers for the year show a .365 batting average with 53 RBI�s and 22 doubles.
Runner-up: Nate Recknagel, Michigan

Outfielder - Dominic de la Osa, Vanderbilt - Batting in front of All American Pedro Alvarez has done dividends for de la Osa, who will also be an All American at season�s end. The right fielder has performed at the highest level during SEC competition, which shows that he�s for real. The Vandy outfielder boasts a .386 average, 19 HR�s, and 60 RBI�s on the season.
Runner-up: Zach Putnam, Michigan

Homerun Hitter - Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt - Although he has less homeruns on the year than teammate de la Osa, Pedro Alvarez is one of the most feared power hitters in college baseball. What Alvarez does best is hit the ball to all fields and by doing that, he drives in many Commodore runs. The All American has a .397 average with 17 HR�s and 65 RBI�s on the year.
Runner-up: Bill Moss, Memphis

Coach - Tim Corbin, Vanderbilt - The best manager in this regional might be the best coach in the nation at the moment. Although he hasn�t reached the College World Series to date with the Commodores, the upcoming weeks might just change that. Corbin has built the program from being in the cellar of the SEC to being one of the elite programs in America.
Runner-up: Daron Schoenrock, Memphis

The Forecast

The Nashville, TN regional boasts the best team in the nation along with what might be the best #4 seed in Austin Peay. The Friday pitching matchup of Vandy All American David Price against Governor starter Shawn Kelley should be a good one for a 1 vs. 4 seed showdown. Look for the bats to stay hot and the Commodores to handle the Govs pretty easily in the first game.

The intriguing matchup of Michigan against Memphis should be the close game of the regional. Both of these teams received at-large bids, and both had up and down seasons. The Commodores battled back after losing their first game to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. They won 5 straight to take home the title and that momentum should carry into this weekend. Look for top ranked Vanderbilt to advance to Sunday with no problems and advance to a Super Regional at home the next week.

The Predictions

Eddie Jimmy Jonathan

Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Vanderbilt

CHARLOTTESVILLE REGIONAL
vs Nashville Regional

The Field

(1) Virginia

After finishing 3rd in the ACC with a 19-9 conference record and a 43-14 overall mark during the regular season, the Virginia Cavaliers will host a regional at home in Charlottesville for the second straight year.
(2) Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights, led by All-American shortstop Todd Frazier, finished tied for 1st in the Big East with a 20-7 conference record and display an overall record of 41-19 on the year.
(3) Oregon State

The Beavers were national champions last year, but this time around they will have to travel across the country to be a 3 seed after finishing below .500 in Pac 10 play with a 10-14 record.
(4) Lafayette

The Patriot League regular season and conference tournament champion Lafayette Leopards will play Virginia on the first day after finishing conference play at 17-3 and their regular season at 33-18.

The Venue

Davenport Field at UVA Baseball Stadium will play host to the Charlottesville, VA regional. It is the second straight year for the Cavaliers that they will host a regional on their home diamond. Davenport Field was opened in 2002, and its seating capacity currently stands at 2000. The field dimensions are 335 to left, 408 to center, and 352 to right, so their diamond is definitely a pitcher's park.

The Best

Starting Pitcher - Jacob Thompson, Virginia - The All-ACC pitcher has been brilliant on the year for the Cavaliers, sporting an 11-0 record with a 1.35 ERA. Thompson has held opposing batters to a .193 average after allowing only 72 hits in 106.2 innings.
Runner-up: Steve Healing, Rutgers

Relief Pitcher - Casey Lambert, Virginia - The Cavalier closer has been exceptional for his club on the year, recording 11 saves and displaying an excellent ERA of 1.51. Lambert has struck out 45 opposing batters in 35.2 innings.
Runner-up: Eddie Kunz, Oregon State

Infielder - Todd Frazier, Rutgers - The Scarlet Knights� shortstop may be the best at his position in the nation. The All-American boasts a .379 average on the year with 22 HR�s and 64 RBI�s.
Runner-up: Brandon Guyer, Virginia

Outfielder - Ryan Hill, Rutgers - The fellow teammate of Todd Frazier, Ryan Hill is arguably the best outfielder in the Big East. On the year, he has a .348 average with 11 HR�s and 55 RBI�s.
Runner-up: Mike Lissman, Oregon State

Homerun Hitter - Todd Frazier, Rutgers - Along with being the best infielder in this regional, Frazier also is the best power hitter as he sports 22 longballs with 64 RBI�s this spring.
Runner-up: Mitch Canham, Oregon State

Coach - Pat Casey, Oregon State - This choice was a no brainer, as Casey led the Beavers to the national championship last year. He is known as one of the better coaches in the country.
Runner-up: Brian O�Connor, Virginia

The Forecast

This regional obviously favors the Cavaliers because of their strong starting pitching, but with the presence of the defending national champion Oregon State Beavers, it won�t be an easy task for Virginia. Many thought Rutgers didn�t deserve a 2 seed, but with star players such as Todd Frazier and Ryan Hill leading their team, they could be the surprise team of this regional.

The strength of the Cavaliers is their pitching, which is led by Jacob Thompson and Sean Doolittle. Oregon State has the experience and has been there before, so they shouldn�t be counted out either. This regional has 3 teams that could possibly win it, but look for the Cavaliers to get the job done with their pitching and timely hitting.

The Predictions

Eddie Jimmy Jonathan

Virginia Virginia Virginia

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