2017 Super Regional Roundup — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

BOMBS AWAY!! 💣

Drew Ellis takes one DEEEEEP and Louisville is now up 5-0 in the 5th! #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/aabOWYLOAO

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 9, 2017

SEE ALSO: Super Regional Scoreboard

SEE ALSO: Aggies Outlast Feisty Davidson

Strike One: Hjelle-McKay Should Be Fun

For the opener of a super regional between two rivals, Game One of the Louisville Super Regional—while it had great atmosphere—feels like the appetizer to Game Two.

Drew Ellis hit a three-run homer and Kade McClure delivered 5.1 scoreless innings as Louisville beat Kentucky, 5-2, to put its in-state rival on the brink of elimination. It sets up a delicious second game matchup between BA College Player of the Year Brendan McKay and SEC pitcher of the year Sean Hjelle, who will try to keep Kentucky alive.

“It’ll be a fun matchup,” Louisville coach Dan McDonnell told reporters after Friday’s game. “It’s a great challenge for our kids. But you realize, at this point, everybody’s the best of the best when you get to the super regional.”

A record 6,235 fans packed into Jim Patterson Stadium as Louisville matched the program record for wins with 51. Ellis, just 1-for-11 in the regional last weekend, had an RBI groundout in the first before blasting a three-run homer to left in the fifth to break the game open. It was the 18th homer for the second-team All-American.

“I was struggling a little bit, but I trust my ability,” Ellis said. “I was trying to do too much, at times, in the regional. But I felt a lot more comfortable coming in here today. My (batting practices) have been a lot better, and to get that swing off, and the barrel on the ball, it was good for me.”

Devin Mann had a RBI single, walked once and scored twice for Louisville, while leadoff man Logan Taylor doubled, walked and scored two times.

The Wildcats, down 5-0, made it interesting in the ninth when second-team All-American Evan White homered and Taylor Marshall singled home another run with two outs. But Cardinals closer Lincoln Henzman, another second-team All-American, struck out T.J. Collett to end it.

Strike Two: Ace High

It wasn’t until after the game that Long Beach State ace righthander Darren MacCaughan thought about Friday being his last start at Blair Field. But he couldn’t have asked for a better sendoff.

The No. 279 prospect on the BA 500 blanked Cal State Fullerton on two hits over seven shutout innings, walking two and striking out seven in a 3-0 win that put the Dirtbags a win from Omaha.

As good as he was, McCaughan quickly gave credit to the home crowd.

“The fans are huge,” the junior said. “We build off them, and they get fired up and we feed off that. Honestly, I didn’t think (being his last game at Blair Field), but now that you mention it, it’s kind of cool to go out that way, if that’s what happens.”

Long Beach got off quickly, taking a 3-0 lead against its archrival in the first on RBI hits from Lucas Tancas, Ramsey Romano and Luke Rasmussen. That was more than enough for McCaughan, the Big West pitcher of the year for the second straight season. McCaughan succeeds despite fringy stuff, relying on above-average command and deception to record 104 strikeouts in 122.1 innings, the most thrown by a Dirtbags pitcher since Cesar Ramos threw 126 innings in 2005.

“McCaughan was fantastic,” coach Troy Buckley said. “It was a competitive game, and we took advantage of (Connor) Seabold in the first inning. I give a lot of credit to (assistant coach Greg Bergeron) and the offensive guys. But nothing’s going to be easy, especially at this time of year.”

To that end, Fullerton loaded the bases in the ninth with one out, but closer Chris Rivera struck out the final two batters, getting Chris Hudgins swinging to end it. Rivera has 13 saves for the second straight season, putting him in a three-way tie for second on LBSU’s all-time saves list with 26.

Long Beach improved to 6-1 against Fullerton this season. The Titans haven’t scored on the Dirtbags in 23 innings.

Strike Three: Fill-In Fills In

The news came down a couple of hours before game time that Luke Heimlich wouldn’t pitch Friday. But it’s a testament to Oregon State’s depth that it can replace the nation’s ERA leader with a first-team All-American and not miss a beat.

Redshirt junior Jake Thompson—the No. 84 player on the BA500—fired 7.2 solid innings, and the offense got off to a quick start against righthander Patrick Raby as the No. 1 national seed took the first game of the Corvallis Super Regional, 8-4.

K.J. Harrison, No. 69 on the BA 500, hit a three-run homer in the first, and after Vanderbilt tied it in the second, Nick Madrigal—already building buzz for the 2018 draft—doubled home two runs in the second as the Beavers grabbed the lead for good.

Thompson settled in after allowing four hits and three runs in the second, allowing just three hits the rest of the way as the Beavers won their 20th game in a row.