On Friday, the Starkville Regional will begin at Dudy Noble Field. The four teams that will square off in the double-elimination format are Mississippi State, Cincinnati, Louisiana, and Lipscomb.
Here’s a look at how all four teams stack up:
#1 Seed Mississippi State Bulldogs
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
The Bulldogs had a strong season in the SEC, going 40-17 overall and 16-14 in the league. They were trending towards a potential top eight national seed but lost their final three conference series down the stretch. Still, this team earned one of the final hosting spots and enters this tournament as the favorite.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Ace Reese
Reese has started every game this season for the Bulldogs, putting together an All-American caliber season. He is batting .327 with 20 home runs and 69 RBIs. In addition, he’s added 21 doubles. The heart of this order is loaded, and Reese is the biggest threat.
HOW THEY CAN WIN THE REGIONAL:
The Bulldogs are the hosts and favorites for a reason. They hammered Lipscomb in a regular season series, so they may be tempted to hold their ace Tomas Valincius until a potential winner’s bracket game. If they pull that off, they will be in a good spot to make it out of their Regional.
#2 Seed Cincinnati Bearcats
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
The Bearcats enter with a 37-20 overall record, having gone 17-13 in Big 12 play. In many ways, they had an inverse season to Mississippi State. After a slow start in conference play, Cincy finished red-hot, winning each of their last six Big 12 series. They enter with a dangerous offense that carried them down the stretch.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Quinton Coats
Coats is one of the best power hitters in the country. He enters play with 28 home runs, good for a tie for fourth most in the nation. Additionally, he bats .346 and has driven in 78 runs, which is tied for fifth most nationally. He and fellow slugger Jack Natili have combined to hit 44 of the team’s 84 long balls this season.
HOW THEY CAN WIN THE REGIONAL:
Cincinnati seems like the team most likely to slug their way through Starkville. Their offense has carried them at times, but they have also gotten much better on the mound. If they get a quality start from Nathan Taylor to open the tourney, their path to winning it gets much more realistic. Lack of pitching depth could be the Achilles if they get into the loser’s bracket.
#3 Seed Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Louisiana enters 39-23 overall, with a 16-14 record in the Sun Belt. Ultimately, it was a tale of three seasons in one for the Ragin’ Cajuns. They started the season off well, winning 15 of their first 20 games and reaching the national rankings. Then, a talented group of freshmen hit a slump, and the team struggled through the first half of Sun Belt play. Much like the Bearcats, the Cajuns powered through the back half, winning their last four SBC series and then going 5-2 over six days in the SBC Tournament, reaching the Championship.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Colt Brown
UL got a tough blow when returning catcher Jose Torres suffered a knee injury right before the season started. However, the true freshman Brown was more than ready to step in. He’s made 60 starts behind the plate, batting .307 with five homers and 50 RBIs. Additionally, he has been outstanding defensively behind the plate and showed leadership despite his youth.
HOW THEY CAN WIN THE REGIONAL:
The Cajuns’ offense was far from a strength early in the season. However, it has turned into one down the stretch, and it feels like they will need to score some runs consistently to make a run here. Cody Brasch is a legitimate ace at the front of the rotation, and they will need him to slow Cincinnati down in the opener. Past that, they will piece it together with guys like Andrew Herrmann and Ty Roman, who have both been solid of late.
#4 Seed Lipscomb Bisons
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
The Bisons enter with a 29-24 record overall, having gone 19-11 in the Atlantic Sun. Lipscomb challenged themselves in the non-conference, including playing a three-game series in Dudy Noble against Mississippi State. They hit their stride in ASUN play and won their final five conference series. Then, they won all three in the ASUN Tourney, including two extra inning wins over North Alabama to secure the automatic bid into the field.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Kaleb Kantola
Lipscomb has a legitimate closer in Kantola. He has nine saves which ranks tied for 25th nationally. A 1.69 ERA and a .178 batting average against backs up the idea that you do not want to get late into a game against the Bisons still trailing. If they can find a way to get him the ball in the late stages, they have a chance to pull an upset.
HOW THEY CAN WIN THE REGIONAL:
It is no doubt an uphill climb for Lipscomb in this tournament, but they are more than capable. Their lineup features six regulars that bat over .300, so they will need to produce runs throughout this tournament. The bullpen is also strong, so if they manage to get some solid starts, they can scare teams in this tournament. Depth is a problem, so they will want to avoid the loser’s bracket at all costs.