2017 Conference Tournament Previews

Conference tournaments begin today and Baseball America takes a look at the six highest-rated conferences in the RPI that hold tournaments. Capsules were compiled by Teddy Cahill, Michael Lananna and Vince Lara-Cinisomo.

Southeastern

When: Tuesday-Sunday

Where: Hoover Metropolitan Stadium • Hoover, Ala.

Participants: 12 teams (listed by seed)—Florida, Louisiana State, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Auburn, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Georgia.

Format: Single-elimination play-in games followed by double-elimination bracket play.

Top Seed: Florida. The Gators won their fourth SEC title under coach Kevin O’Sullivan with a familiar formula of pitching and defense. Florida’s .981 fielding percentage ranks eighth in the nation and all three of its starters—righthanders Alex Faedo (7-2, 2.89), Brady Singer (7-3, 2.67) and Jackson Kowar (10-0, 3.84)—project to be drafted in the first round in the next two years. Michael Byrne (2-4, 1.93) was thrust into the closer’s role and excelled, matching the program record with 13 saves. Florida’s offense has been beset by injuries at times this season, but has found itself in the second half. Sophomore outfielder Nelson Maldonado (.331/.472/.507, 6 HR) has been the Gators’ most consistent hitter this season, and catcher/first baseman J.J. Schwarz (.286/.380/.474, 9 HR) has been one of the hottest hitters in the league over the last month. Florida will be without shortstop Daulton Guthrie this week due to a sprained ankle, but hopes catcher Mike Rivera will be able to return after missing the last month due to a broken hamate bone.

Something To Gain: Kentucky, Mississippi State. The Wildcats’ series loss at Florida over the weekend denied them an SEC title, but it didn’t scuttle their national seed chances. Kentucky ranks No. 7 in RPI and is two wins shy of 40 wins. With a deep run in the SEC Tournament, the Wildcats could still grab a national seed. That could mean more for Kentucky than for most teams, as it would prevent the selection committee from pairing it with Louisville for a potential super regional showdown. Like Kentucky, Mississippi State went into last weekend with a chance to win its division, but was swept by Louisiana State. That likely cost the Bulldogs a chance to host, but if they are able to bounce back with a deep run in the SEC Tournament, they may still be able to get back into the mix.

Desperation Time: Mississippi, Missouri. The Rebels and Tigers finished with identical 14-16 conference records—not a deal breaker by any means—but they may be in for an anxious week if they lose their play-in games Tuesday. Ole Miss is in better shape thanks to its superior RPI (32 vs. 49) and better record vs. top 100 RPI teams. It may be able to overcome an abbreviated stay in Hoover. Missouri, however, needs a win Tuesday and probably a couple more after that to position itself for a regionals bid in coach Steve Bieser’s first season.

All or Nothing: South Carolina, Georgia. The Gamecocks and Bulldogs saw their seasons go in opposite directions down the stretch, culminating with Georgia’s series win at South Carolina last weekend. That series loss was the Gamecocks’ eighth in a row and dropped them to 13-17 in the league. For much of the season it looked like Georgia wouldn’t even make the SEC Tournament. But it won its final three series to claim the final spot. Both will see their seasons end in Hoover unless they leave with a championship.

— Teddy Cahill

Big Ten

When: Wednesday-Sunday

Where: Bart Kauffman Field • Bloomington, Ind.

Participants: Eight teams (listed by seed)—Nebraska, Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, Iowa, Indiana, Northwestern, Purdue.

Format: Double-elimination

Top Seed: Nebraska. The Cornhuskers lost just once conference series all season en route to winning their first Big Ten regular-season championship since joining the league five years ago. Nebraska is 8-2 overall this month and will carry momentum into the Big Ten Tournament. Junior outfielder/lefthander Jake Meyers stars both at the plate and on the mound. He is hitting .298/.431/.348 with 18 stolen bases and is 8-1, 3.09 as their Sunday starter. With Meyers, Derek Burkamper (6-4, 3.05) and Jake Hohensee (6-3, 4.01) in the rotation and Luis Alvarado (0-, 1.23, 10 SV) and Chad Luensmann (3-4, 3.66, 8 SV) in the bullpen, Nebraska has been formidable on the mound this season. Offensively, DH Scott Schreiber (.335/.383/.483) and shortstop Angelo Altavilla (.323/.419/.402) have been the Cornhuskers’ most consistent threats.

Something To Gain: Michigan. The Wolverines are probably the Big Ten’s best hope for hosting a regional. Michigan finished just a half-game behind Nebraska in the regular season and has an RPI of 29 to go with 42 wins, 19 of which have come away from Ann Arbor. If the Wolverines dogpile Sunday, they could be rewarded by the selection committee.

Desperation Time: Indiana, Maryland. Indiana leads the Big Ten with its No. 28 RPI, while Maryland ranks third at No. 33. But the Hoosiers finished sixth in the conference standings and the Terrapins finished fourth. The Big Ten’s unbalanced schedule and the tightness of the top of the standings (the top six teams are separated by two games) might mean that the exact order of the final standings isn’t a significant factor, but Indiana and Maryland would probably breathe easier with a win or two this week. That’s particularly true for the Hoosiers, who have home-field advantage in the tournament.

All or Nothing: Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue. Minnesota went into the regular season’s final weekend in control of its own destiny, but saw the championship slip away from its grasp when it lost a series to Purdue. That dropped the Gophers’ RPI to No. 81, outside of consideration for an at-large berth. Iowa is in the same range at No. 94, while Purdue (109) and Northwestern (194) are outside the top 100. All of them will need to win the conference’s automatic bid to extend their season.

— Teddy Cahill

Big 12

When: Wednesday-Sunday.

Where: Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, Oklahoma City.

Participants: Eight teams (listed by seed)—Texas Tech, Texas Christian, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Baylor, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma State.

Format: Double-elimination.

Top Seed: Texas Tech. For the second straight year, the Red Raiders enter the tournament as the top seed, by benefit of a head-to-head tiebreaker with TCU. The Red Raiders came into last weekend needing to sweep in order to win the conference title, and they did just that, taking three games against visiting Kansas. Texas Tech lost a couple of the veteran power bats it had a year ago, but the team hasn’t missed a beat. Grant Little (.351/.426/.500) and Tanner Gardner (.298/.399/.450) kickstart the offense at the top of the lineup, while bats like Hunter Hargrove (.347/.427/.546) and Orlando Garcia (team-leading 11 home runs) drive them in. While last year’s ace, Davis Martin, hasn’t been healthy for most of the season, lefty Steven Gingery has been lights-out in his stead, going 8-1, 1.82 as the weekend anchor. A well-coached club that his been to Omaha in two of the last three years, the Red Raiders have developed into a no-doubt Big 12 power.

Something To Gain: Texas Christian, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Baylor, Texas. As the No. 1 RPI conference in the country, the Big 12 seems poised to send six teams to regionals. TCU is poised to be a national seed, sitting at No. 6 in the RPI and tied with the same 16-8 conference record as No. 1 seed Texas Tech. Oklahoma could be in position to host, but after losing its last weekend series to rival Oklahoma State, the Sooners could use an RPI-boosting win. The same goes for West Virginia, a team that was once in the hosting discussion but now sits outside of it. The Mountaineers would likely need a deep run in the tournament to re-enter that discussion. Baylor and Texas, at No. 19 and No. 23 in the RPI, respectively, should be fairly safe for at-large bids but do have the opportunity to bolster their resumes and could potentially host if they come away with the tournament crown.

Desperation Time: Kansas. The Jayhawks were on the bubble heading into the final weekend at Texas Tech but could’ve greatly improved their No. 58 RPI with at least one win on the road against the No. 4 Red Raiders. They couldn’t accomplishment that feat, and now they’re tasked with keeping their season afloat. Kansas needs a couple of wins in this tournament to earn a bid, and even then, it might not be a guarantee. The Jayhawks have little margin for error.

All or Nothing: Oklahoma State. An Omaha team a year ago, the Cowboys lost their veteran core to the draft and graduation and have undergone a rebuild. At 8-14 in conference and just one game above .500 overall, the Cowboys don’t have much of an at-large case. But the Pokes did finish the season on a strong note with two wins against rival Oklahoma. They’ll need to carry that momentum into the tournament and all the way through to the end if they hope to return to regionals.

— Michael Lananna

Atlantic Coast Conference

When: Tuesday-Sunday

Where: Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville

Participants: 12 teams (listed by seed)—Louisville, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Virginia, Clemson, Miami, North Carolina State, Florida State, Duke, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Notre Dame.

Format: Pool play.

Top Seed: Louisville. Since joining the ACC, the Cardinals hadn’t lost a single home series before last weekend against Florida State. Louisville joined the conference and immediately established itself as one of its premier teams. That’s again the case this year, as the Cardinals won the ACC regular season title outright by one game over North Carolina. The core of Louisville’s team is two-way junior Brendan McKay, who has drawn top-of-the-draft buzz as both a hitter (.361, 15 homers) and pitcher (8-3, 2.22). But Louisville is more than one player. The Cardinals are deep from one to nine in the starting lineup. Third baseman Drew Ellis has taken a step forward this year and is climbing up draft boards, leading the team at .387/.481/.737 with 16 home runs. Shortstop Devin Hairston, too, is a top-of-the-order threat. Kade McClure (7-2, 2.99) and freshman Nick Bennett (5-0, 2.47) round out the starting pitching staff with a lights-out closer in Lincoln Henzman (2-0, 1.16). There isn’t a weak link on Louisville’s team.

Something To Gain: North Carolina, Wake Forest, Virginia, Clemson, Miami, North Carolina State, Florida State. UNC, which won the Coastal Division and didn’t lose a single conference series all year, is a lock for a national seed and has the least to gain among this group. Wake Forest, at No. 12 in the RPI, should be fairly safe to host but could benefit from a win or two and could enter the national seed discussion with a deep run; the same holds true for Virginia. Clemson struggled down the stretch and lost three straight ACC series, two via sweep. The Tigers’ No. 9 RPI keeps them within hosting range—and on the national seed fringes if they happen to win the tournament—but they need to right the ship. N.C. State and Florida State both essentially locked up at-large bids with big series wins this past weekend against Clemson and Louisville, respectively.

Desperation Time: Miami. The Hurricanes could use some more RPI building to move off of the bubble. The Canes have played well enough of late to push over .500 (28-26) and finished 16-13 in conference, but they rank No. 47 in RPI and lack marquee series wins.

All or Nothing: Duke, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Notre Dame. All four teams are well below .500 in conference, and only Duke and Georgia Tech are above .500 overall (by one game). The Yellow Jackets have the highest RPI of the bunch at No. 64 but none are within striking distance. Duke, Georgia Tech and Boston College all earned regional bids last year, with the Eagles going on to supers, but that won’t be the case this year unless one of them wins it all.

— Michael Lananna

American Athletic Conference

When: Tuesday-Sunday

Where: Spectrum Field • Clearwater, Florida

Participants: Eight teams (listed by seed)—Central Florida, Houston, Connecticut, South Florida, Tulane, Cincinnati, Memphis, East Carolina.

Format: Double-elimination.

Top Seed: Central Florida. A year after finishing last in the AAC, UCF rebounded under first-year coach Greg Lovelady, who was hired away from Wright State. UCF went 38-18 and 15-9 in conference play, to tie Houston for first place (UCF’s series win against Houston gave it the tiebreaker for the top seed). It was the Knights’ first regular season conference title since 2004, when they were still a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. UCF led the conference with a 3.80 staff ERA, 101 stolen bases, 1.81 stolen bases per game and in runs scored. Freshman lefthander Joe Sheridan won 10 games, most in the AAC. Senior center fielder Luke Hamblin had a league-best 40 walks (.422 OBP), while freshman Rylan Thomas hit 13 homers and had 51 RBIs, just short of conference leader Jake Scheiner of Houston, who had 15 homers and 52 RBIs.

Something To Gain: Houston, South Florida, Connecticut. The Cougars and Bulls entered the final regular season weekend in a three-way tie atop the AAC, but USF lost two of three to UCF; Houston took two of three from Cincinnati to tie UCF. All three have likely assured themselves of regional bids, and all three remain in the mix to host a regional. Winning the AAC Tournament would be a big boost to their resumes. UConn’s RPI is 40 and it should be the fourth school to get a bid from the conference, but an early exit could be damaging.

Desperation Time: East Carolina. The preseason conference favorite hit on hard times this season after an 18-8 start. The Pirates missed senior ace Evan Kruczynski for six weeks because of an ankle injury and junior closer Joe Ingle was kicked off the team in April. ECU was just 7-17 in conference, but stayed above .500 and eligible for a regional berth—if it wins the AAC tournament. Kruczynski is rested and will start the opener against UCF.

All or Nothing: Tulane, Cincinnati, Memphis. The Green Wave was just 27-29 but had an RPI of 74 thanks to a 14-15 mark against top 50 RPI teams. Cincinnati is 28-28 with an RPI of 85, and while Memphis had a winning record (29-27), it was just 8-16 in conference with an RPI of 111. All three will need to win the conference’s automatic bid to extend their season.

— Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Conference USA

When: Wednesday to Sunday

Where: MGM Park • Biloxi, Miss.

Participants: Eight teams (listed by seed)—Southern Miss, Old Dominion, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, Louisiana Tech, Rice, FIU, UTSA.

Format: Double-elimination.

Top Seed: Southern Mississippi. Southern Miss (44-12) rolls into the CUSA tournament on, well, a roll, having won 14 in a row, the longest active streak in the country. The Golden Eagles’ 44 wins are second only to Louisville, which was 46-9. Southern Miss led the CUSA in batting (.316), homers (78) and runs (487). Senior Dylan Burdeaux hit .372 with a conference-best 66 RBIs. USM also showed it could pitch, leading the hitter-friendly CUSA with a 4.07 ERA, while its weekend rotation of Colt Smith, Kirk McCarty and Taylor Braley combined to go 20-4. The Golden Eagles have likely already wrapped up a host spot, and have some hope of grabbing a national seed if they continue to roll through the conference tournament.

Something To Gain: Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs were the hottest team in the CUSA next to USM but then they stumbled against Middle Tennessee, dropping two of three to fall to fifth in the standings and ding their at-large hopes. Still Louisiana Tech, led by first-year head Lane Burroughs, enters the week at No. 38 in RPI, keeping it firmly in the mix for regionals. The Bulldogs will have the opportunity to shore up their resume in Biloxi and have the talent to do so. They boast the conference’s leading hitter in Raphael Gladu (.381, 63 runs, 54 RBIs) and had a team batting average of .307, second to Southern Miss. Senior lefthander Nate Harris is the team’s ace, going 9-0, 1.75 with 90 strikeouts and just 10 walks.

Desperation Time: Florida Atlantic. Last year’s CUSA champion, FAU finished in third place this season. Its No. 56 RPI means it will need to go on a deep run in the conference tournament to return to regionals this year.

All or Nothing: Charlotte, Florida International, Rice, UTSA. Rice’s streak of 22 straight appearances in regionals is in serious jeopardy as it enters the tournament at 27-29. It, like Charlotte, FIU and UTSA all need to win the conference’s automatic bid to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

— Vince Lara-Cinisomo