The Road to Omaha must go through Baton Rouge. The field of 64 was announced on Monday and there is some similarity when it comes to last year’s regional.
That being said, this is going to be an interesting regional with the Rice Owls and Southeastern Louisiana looking to play spoiler. Let’s look into how these teams did during the regular season and who to watch for this weekend.
Southeastern Louisiana:
Record: 36-20, 20-10 Southland
Last meeting with LSU: Tigers Win 8-2
Last meeting with Rice: Took two of three back in February
Last meeting with Texas Southern: Swept them back in 2013
Players to Watch:
When it comes to the Lions, there are a few offensive players that could give a pitching staff some headaches. Taylor Schwaner has been one of the best players at the dish with a .320 batting average and 13 home runs on the year. The same could be said for Carson Crites with a .301 batting average and 14 dingers. These two could bust things open at any moment, so whoever is on the mound will have to watch out for this combo.
When it comes to a potential ace, you have to look at Corey Gaconi. While his win-loss record doesn’t tell you much, his command of the strike zone has to be respected. The sophomore out of Metarie has walked 12 batters and struck out 66 batters this season.
Rice Owls:
Record: 31-29, 18-14 C-USA (C-USA Champions)
Last meeting with LSU: 2-1 in the 2016 regionals against the Tigers
Last meeting with Southeastern: Lost two of three back in February.
Last meeting with Texas Southern: They haven’t faced off in recent history.
Players to Watch:
The Rice Owls have a pair of sluggers on the mound that can also hit at a consistent clip in Dominic DiCaprio and Dane Myers. DiCaprio is a little bit better with a .365 batting average, but if you’re looking for the long ball, Myers has to be your guy with 6 HRs and a .531 slugging percentage. There’s not much difference between these two statistically, but expect these guys to add a little more fireworks to a game this weekend at the Box.
The biggest question is when Matt Canterino will start. He’s 5-4 with a 3.94 ERA, but has 105 strikeouts this season. Odds are he will start on Friday against Southeastern, but if he gets pushed back to Saturday, he could give the Tigers a little harder time. Mind you, this is all dependent on if they can take down the Lions.
Texas Southern:
Record: 20-32, 14-10 SWAC (SWAC Champions)
Last meeting with LSU: Lost 4-1 in 2014 in LSU Tournament
Last meeting with Texas Southern: Haven’t faced off in recent history.
Last meeting with Southeastern: Swept by Southeastern in 2013.
Players to Watch:
Texas Southern is probably the weakest of the three teams (see: record), but has a key offensive player to keep an eye on. Gaudencio Lucca has been one of the better players on this team with a .315 batting average and six home runs in 2017.
The pitching staff is a little suspect though with one of their starters in Seth Oliver having a 4-4 record in 11 starts. While they were able to win the SWAC title last weekend to punch their ticket, it will require a lot from this team to stay in it past Saturday.
-Clint Domingue