2010 College Baseball Super Regional Weekend Update

The 2010 College Super Regionals are done and in the books. We saw without a doubt some of the best college teams battle it out head to head this weekend. But in the end, 8 teams are headed to Omaha and 8 teams are hanging up the glove one last time. This year’s Super Regionals saw their share of upsets, thrillers and heartbreakers. Keep reading for a roundup of all the action this weekend.

Weekend Series Roundups

Tempe Super Regional

Arizona State (50-8) vs. Arkansas (43-19)

Actual Winner: Arizona State

Predicted Winner: Arizona State

This was hands down the most exciting sweep in the recent history of the super regionals. Although the series only went two games, it felt like three – if not more. In game one, Arkansas had the Sun Devils down to their final strike, when a swinging bunt allowed the Sun Devils to tie the game up in the bottom of the ninth. After two scoreless innings, the Devils finally won in 12 with a walk off single.

Game two looked like it was all ASU until the middle innings when the Razorbacks slowly began to chip away at the lead. In the bottom of the ninth, down to their final strike and down by a single run, the Razorbacks Center Fielder hit a no-doubt homer over the left field wall to tie the score at 5.

After a couple more innings of scoreless ball, ASU took the lead on a towering homer of their own making it 7-5. They stayed ahead for good after a scoreless bottom of the 12th by the closer who blew the save, but picked up the win. ASU advances to Omaha for the 23rd time in school history.

Clemson Super Regional

Clemson (41-22) vs. Alabama (41-23)

Actual Winner: Clemson

Predicted Winner: Clemson

‘Bama took game one of this series in a tightly contested 5-4 victory. Then the wheels came off for the Crimson Tide. Clemson tagged the Alabama staff for 19 runs in game two and at the time of this post, looks to be in control up 8-1 in the seventh inning. As predicted, Alabama needed strong pitching to win and obviously that did not show up. Clemson really showed their strength on the offensive side of things, with a better than expected showing from their pitching staff.

Clemson survived a late inning onslaught by the Tide to hang on in game three of the series.

Charlottesville Super Regional

Virginia (50-12) vs. Oklahoma (47-15)

Actual Winner: Oklahoma

Predicted Winner: Oklahoma

I took a lot of flak for this prediction, mostly from UVA fans who were confident that their bats would demolish the Oklahoma pitching. This series went all the way to the deciding Game three, but in the end, the inconsistency with the UVA pitching and hitting that I had seen over the past couple of weeks finally came to a head in an absolute meltdown. Their first back to back losses of the season couldn’t have come at a worse time as they squandered a Game 1 win by losing the next two.

The first game of the series was a pitcher’s duel, decided by a single run. Oklahoma came in with a phenomenal record in 1-run games (usually an indicator of a good team) but it was the Cavaliers who prevailed in a relatively quiet Game One by the score of 3-2, thanks to a solo shot and a two-run homer.

High scoring affairs seemed to favor UVA more than OU, but game two turned everyone on their heads as the Sooners came away with the victory in a 10-7 shootout.

The wheels came off the bus for the Cavs in Game three as they couldn’t hit or pitch to save their CWS lives. Congrats to Oklahoma who didn’t falter after going down in Game one, but stayed poised on the road and beat a very tough Virginia Cavaliers team.

Myrtle Beach Super Regional

Coastal Carolina (55-8) vs. South Carolina (46-15)

Actual Winner: South Carolina

Predicted Winner: South Carolina

As predicted, steady play led to a trip to Omaha for the Gamecocks. In a pair of 1-run victories, South Carolina showed that they have both the bats, and the pitching to compete with just about anyone left in the tournament.

They needed a couple of late rallies to sweep Coastal Carolina, but in the end, they came out on top of a nationally seeded team and are headed to Omaha.

Austin Super Regional

Texas (49-11) vs. TCU (49-11)

Actual Winner: TCU

Predicted Winner: Texas

Just like last year, this series came down to a deciding game three, but this time it was the pitching of TCU that earned them a trip to the 2010 College World Series. With the exception of game two where Texas tattooed them for 14 runs, the Horned Frogs pitching staff held Texas to just two runs while the offense did just enough to win.

If you said last week that TCU would score 8 runs in three games and beat Texas, you would have been laughed at by most everyone, including TCU fans. But Texas Christian came through, a national #2 seed falls and TCU is headed to Omaha for the first time ever!

Tallahassee Super Regional

Florida State (45-17) vs. Vanderbilt (45-18)

Actual Winner: Florida State

Predicted Winner: Vanderbilt

This series had all of the drama that you would expect of a College Baseball Super Regional, but in the end the Seminoles Prevailed. A walkoff homer to win game 1 for the Seminoles was followed up by a well played game two by the Commodores to tie the series at 1-1. Game three looked to be all Seminoles until the ninth inning when Vanderbilt made it interesting, but the Bullpen of the ‘Noles held on to seal the deal for FSU.

There was not a lot of offense in this series, but there was a lot of excitement for those who got to see it.

Los Angeles Super Regional

UCLA (46-13) vs. Cal State Fullerton (45-16)

Actual Winner: UCLA

Predicted Winner: UCLA

This series was a meltdown for Cal State Fullerton. They were literally one out away from sweeping the nationally seeded Bruins and they let it slip away. Credit to UCLA for making the most of CSF’s mistakes, but they are truly one team that probably shouldn’t be in Omaha right now.

The Bruins did what they needed to do in Game 3, so credit to them, but hopefully this was a wakeup call for a Bruins team that seems to take series’ off every now and then. They have way too much talent to be an out away from getting swept by underdog Fullerton, but in the end, the world remains right and the Bruins advance.

Gainesville Super Regional

Florida (45-15) vs. Miami (43-18)

Actual Winner: Florida

Predicted Winner: Florida

I’m not going to lie. I really didn’t watch a single game of this series, which is saying something because I watched a TON of college baseball this weekend. It wasn’t that I had no interest in the series, it’s just that it was over before anyone really even knew that it started.

Florida dominated game 1 on the scoreboard and did just enough to earn the series sweep and mark their place as the first 2010 team to make it to Omaha. The Gators are a quietly proving to everyone why they deserve their number 3 national seed and should do their fair share of damage in the 2010 College World Series.

Come back in a day or two for my College World Series Predictions. See you in Omaha.