NCAA Baseball Tournament – Stillwater Regional

NCAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT – STILLWATER REGIONAL — The short right field porch of O’Brate Stadium is calling Jac Caglianone’s name, and that could make Florida very dangerous in this regional. The Gators snagged a No. 3 seed in the region by virtue of playing the nation’s toughest schedule, and their lineup could be in prime position to handle a winnable region.

Of course, Caglianone’s not the only one who’s going to be aiming for the right field wall. Nolan Schubart and Carson Benge know how to hit in Stillwater, and Oklahoma State’s pitchers are very comfortable in this park. The Cowboys earned their seed, and just because they’ve got a wide open regional is no reason to count them out.

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Meanwhile, Nebraska features the regional’s best pitcher and Niagara has nothing to lose. The Cornhuskers just won the Big Ten title, and the Purple Eagles claimed the Metro Atlantic crown. This could be one of the most exciting regionals in the NCAA tournament.

Players to Watch

Caglianone will be critical to Florida’s chances, assuming anyone pitches to him. The Gators’ pitcher/first baseman rarely sees a good pitch to hit unless nobody’s on base because he’s been that dominant at the plate. Despite that, Caglianone launched 29 home runs and hits .415, which is why he’s a likely top-five selection in the MLB draft.

Incredibly, he’s not the only .400 hitter in Stillwater. Niagara first baseman Eric Rataczak hit .402 this season with 16 long balls, albeit against lesser competition than Caglianone. Rataczak and the Purple Eagles won’t be there long, but they’ll be there.

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Nebraska will try to counter the sluggers with Big Ten pitcher of the year Brett Sears. Sears ranks third in the nation in ERA among starters, and it’ll be his task to try to contain Florida’s potent lineup. But Oklahoma State might be best equipped in the pitching category. The one-two punch of Sam Garcia and Brian Holiday helped ensure the Cowboys didn’t lose a series in Stillwater all season. Throw in the Cowboy hitters, and Oklahoma State’s got the edge.

The Favorite

Oklahoma State has to build off the Big 12 title and shake off last year’s two-and-out. The Cowboys’ pitching really let them down last season, as they gave up 24 runs to Oral Roberts and Dallas Baptist in a quick exit. This year’s staff looks stronger, and the Cowboys have several options in the bullpen.

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Oklahoma State has also shown it can overcome a rocky start. The Pokes dropped to the loser’s bracket after falling to UCF in Arlington, but they came back with three strong showings. Most important, their pitching led the way. After losing to the Knights, the Cowboys gave up just four runs the rest of the way in Arlington. Oklahoma State would rather not do it the hard way, but a loss won’t devastate them.

Potential Surprise

Nobody outside Gainesville wanted to see Florida qualify for the tournament. Now that the Gators are here, they can cause problems. Florida showed what it could do in taking a must-win series from Georgia on the last weekend, and the Gators have power throughout their lineup.

Their big concern is the pitching. Liam Peterson seems to have developed into a quality arm, and Caglianone’s a reliable No. 3, but Florida doesn’t have an ace or a bullpen. The Gators ranked dead last in the SEC in ERA, meaning they have to outscore opponents to win.

That can happen in this ballpark, but (probably) facing Nebraska and Oklahoma State back-to-back makes that tough. Most likely, the Cowboys have the edge here, but the Gators go out with some fireworks.