re: Please unsticky

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I have no problem with our draw either. Either we get on a run and repeat or we don't.

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Best Defensive Player: This regional features four quality shortstops fielding between .948 and .962. Bakersfield’s Mylz Jones and Mississippi’s Errol Robinson offer premium range and slick actions, but we’ll give the slightest nod to UCLA playmaker Kevin Kramer, who stands out for his instincts, body control and arm accuracy.

No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 7. Maryland and Ole Miss have plenty of veterans back from teams that made deep postseason runs last year, so this should be a very competitive regional. But UCLA is one of college baseball’s very best, most complete, most consistent teams.

Ole Miss
After finally breaking through to Omaha last year for the first time since 1972, the Rebels had to replace their top three hitters and No. 1 starter Chris Ellis. They spent all season scrapping and clawing to stay at or just above the .500 mark against the nation’s top-ranked schedule, but they proved they are good enough to beat elite teams by winning a series against Florida and another at Vanderbilt. The Rebels aren’t nearly the pitching staff they were a year ago — their ERA spiked from 2.72 in 2014 to 4.44 this year. Ace lefty Christian Trent (7-6, 3.70) has been solid but not superb like he was a year ago — though he’s still an accomplished southpaw with savvy and quality stuff, so the Rebels’ best chance to win this regional might be to save him for lefty-heavy UCLA. That would mean starting RHP Brady Bramlett in the opener; his calling card is a disappearing 85-88 fastball that he hides exceptionally well, helping him rack up strikeouts at a surprising rate. The No. 3 starter spot has been a problem all year, and the Rebels tried moving veteran reliever Scott Weathersby into the spot down the stretch, with mixed results. The bullpen is built around 5-foot-8 lefty Wyatt Short, who has a lightning-fast arm and the right temperament for tight spots, helping him rack up 10 saves and a 1.42 ERA. The offense has some real firepower courtesy of mashing first baseman Sikes Orvis (16 HR), physical third baseman Colby Bortles (7 HR) and athletic outfielder J.B. Woodman (7 HR). Woodman and Cameron Dishon bring good speed to the outfield, and shortstop Errol Robinson and veteran catcher Austin Knight make the defense solid up the middle. Ole Miss is not a juggernaut like it was a year ago, but it is well coached, scrappy and extremely battle tested.

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2. Mississippi (30-26, 15-14 in SEC)

20th appearance (fourth straight), at-large, fourth place in SEC West

Top 200 Prospects: None

Season In A Sentence: The Rebels took some time to gel after having to replace a number of contributors off last year’s Omaha team, but they had their high points, winning series against Florida and Vanderbilt, and finished with 13 top 50 RPI wins.

Strengths: It’s unusual to see a Rebels team with such pedestrian numbers on the mound, but Ole Miss does have some tough arms at the back of its bullpen in lefty closer Wyatt Short (4-1, 1.42, 10 saves), who’s shown swing-and-miss stuff, and big, physical righthander Jacob Waquespack (3.53 ERA). Pitchability righty Scott Weathersby (4-2, 2.62) was another one before shifting to the rotation late. Junior college transfer Connor Cloyd (.400/.467/.453) has brought some energy and toughness to the top of the lineup, and the Rebels do have thump whenever Sikes Orvis (16 HR), Colby Bortles (7 HR) or J.B. Woodman (7 HR) are up.

Question Marks: Junior Christian Trent (7-6, 3.70) returned to be the ace of the staff but, while he’s had his moments, he hasn’t been as consistent as he was a season ago. As good as the bullpen can be—the Rebels are 23-2 when leading after six—their starters have been vulnerable, and they’re not going to be winning by coming from behind against an opponent the caliber of UCLA. The Rebels are the least offensive team of the four in Los Angeles. Their lineup ranks 43rd in the country with 241 walks, but without getting the free bases or home runs from Orvis, Bortles or Woodman, they struggle to score.

Outlook: The Rebels do have key vets with Omaha experience in Orvis and Trent, and they’ve proven they can beat UCLA-like pitching-rich teams in Florida and Vandy. If they can get a lead, look out, but they’re still a solid underdog to the deeper Bruins.

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1. Texas A&M (45-11, 18-10 in SEC)

31st appearance (ninth straight), at-large, second place in SEC West

Top 200 Prospects: Grayson Long (129).

Season In A Sentence: Despite losing starters A.J. Minter and Tyler Stubblefield for long stretches, the Aggies won 45 games and had a strong case for a national seed.

Strengths: Grayson Long (9-0, 2.62) and Matt Kent (7-1, 3.42) stepped up in the absence of Minter and Stubblefield—who did return before the end of the season—and the team had a 3.07 ERA. Meanwhile, six hitters top .300, led by Mitchell Nau’s .371. Andrew Vinson (.199 BAA, 1.58 ERA) is a big part of a solid bullpen.

Question Marks: The pitching injuries sapped staff depth and forced Jason Freeman and Turner Larkins into the rotation along with relievers Ryan Hendrix and Kyle Simonds. Long and Kent will likely start the first two games of the regional, but Game Three is up in the air. With a lack of speed, if the Aggies are kept in the park, runs will be tough to create.

Outlook: Even with an unsure rotation, A&M’s high-powered offense should blast its way through the regional for a delicious super regional against TCU.

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@KendallRogersD1: So, with @Stitch_Head's report on @MSUBearBaseball and now #UCSB, could have two regional winners who can't host super regionals.

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