2023 NCAA Tournament Winston-Salem Super Regional Preview

Image credit: Tom Walter (Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Schedule

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Sunday, TBD
Monday, TBD (If necessary)

Wake Forest

Coach: Tom Walter

Postseason history: Third super regional (first since 2017). Seeking third trip to the College World Series and first since 1955.

Postseason route: No. 1 seed in Winston-Salem Regional. Went 3-0, defeating George Mason in regional final.

Scouting report (anonymous coach breaks down the Demon Deacons)

“The power arms and power bats, you don’t have to go much further than that. Their pitching staff is such a separator, it’s got to be from top to bottom maybe as good as I’ve seen in the last eight or nine years of college baseball. It’s as good as I’ve seen in a long time. It’s their power arms and power bats that stand out.

“The middle of their lineup is really good. One thing that gets overlooked with their lineup is how much length it has. They’ve got really good table setters at the top and so much power and length through the middle. The bottom of the lineup guys really understand how to compete for at-bats and how to extend at-bats. They can do several things, they’re not just a one-trick pony.

“(How do you attack Rhett Lowder?) I don’t know if you can attack him. He attacks you. For me, it was about trying to figure out which of his pitches are in the zone. So much of his success is about his ability to get you to chase. So much of his success is about tunneling his pitches and then them finishing out of the zone. You get started and then the fastball rides out of the zone, the changeup falls out of the bottom or the slider moves off the zone. Really what you have to try to figure out is what starts in and finishes out. You really get about a 15-20 pitch window where you might get to him before he tires out and is leaving pitches out over the plate. You better get to him then before they go to the pen. You only get 15-20 pitches before they figure out that it’s time to go to the bullpen and then the next guy is just as good.

“One thing they all have is they have one pitch that’s metrically an outlier. They all know how to throw it and where to throw it. They don’t come off that. They understand what their stuff is and where it plays. They exploit and stay on it.

“Nick Kurtz saves an unbelievable amount of runs at first base. His ability to use size is next level. Marek Houston has been terrific at shortstop. When you’re striking out 10, 11, 12 guys a game, I don’t know how much they get challenged defensively.

“I knew going in how talented their lineup is. The separator with them is they have tremendous energy. They look like they love each other. They float between confident and arrogant, which is where every coach wants their team to be. That’s the special sauce. The pitching and the bats, that’s really good. But their team loves playing together from what I can see.

“They’re a complete team, they’re good. I don’t think it’s just power hitting, just power pitching. They have some of the best velocity in the country yet they prob throw fastballs at a lesser percent than others. It’s breaking balls, command, movement, the whole package.”

Projected Lineup

C: Bennett Lee
1B: Nick Kurtz
2B: Justin Johnson
3B: Brock Wilken
SS: Marek Houston
LF: Lucas Costello
CF: Tommy Hawke
RF: Pierce Bennett
DH: Danny Corona

SP: Rhett Lowder
SP: Josh Hartle
SP: Sean Sullivan
RP: Seth Keener
RP: Camden Minacci

Alabama

Coach: Jason Jackson (interim)

Postseason history: Fourth super regional (first since 2010). Seeking sixth trip to the College World Series and first since 1999.

Postseason route: No. 1 seed in Tuscaloosa Regional. Went 3-0, defeating Boston College in regional final.

Scouting report (anonymous coach breaks down the Crimson Tide)

“They’re a very complete team. They’ve got really solid starting pitching, several good pieces out of the bullpen both righthanded and lefthanded. They have an older, veteran lineup. When you look at them on the field, you see they understand how to compete and they want to win. I feel like they’re a good club. Coach Jackson has done an outstanding job of getting them to play.

“I like Luke Holman, he’s got special stuff. He’s the baby of that group with Garrett McMillan and Jacob McNairy. Alton Davis II has been really good out of the bullpen. He’s a special arm. That staff is pretty talented. They had some injuries, but they’ve got some really good arms.

“They’re balanced offensively. They’ve got guys that are athletes. They have power. They’re pretty dynamic. (Shortstop) Jim Jarvis been there for like seven years and he’s turned himself into a good offensive piece. They’ve got some thump in the middle. Colby Shelton is real, not to mention Andrew Pinckney and Tommy Seidl, he’s such an underrated player. Drew Williamson has been there, he’s a physical lefthanded hitter. They’ve got balance. They can do a lot of things to beat you. They’re older, they all know how to take an at bat.

“When you talk about Alabama, they’re just a very balanced team that is consistently good. They’re a good defensive club, they’ve got power, athleticism. They’re balanced. I don’t think there’s anything you look at as incredibly elite. But they’re just good across the board.

“I love Jarvis at shortstop. He can flat out play. Caden Rose has been a key in center field, now you’ve got the option to move Pinckney to a corner. Williamson, Jarvis, it’s a pretty special defense there in key positions. They do a good job behind the plate, whether it’s Mac Guscette or Dom Tamez.

“(Their experience) is huge. It’s huge in college baseball. You look at teams with success, age and experience is a key component of that. Age and experience allows guys to relax and play on a big stage.”

Projected Lineup

C: Mac Guscette
1B: Drew Williamson
2B: Ed Johnson
3B: Colby Shelton
SS: Jim Jarvis
LF: Tommy Seidl
CF: Caden Rose
RF: Andrew Pinckney
DH: Dominic Tamez