The Tallahassee Regional of the NCAA Tournament is set to begin on Friday afternoon, when the Oklahoma Sooners and the Mississippi State Bulldogs take the field at 12 p.m. EST on ESPNU. Florida State plays the Samford Bulldogs at 7 p.m. that night.
As part of our ongoing coverage of FSU baseball, we give some background and relevant numbers for the upcoming regional. Listed below are each team’s national rankings in various categories. For the three away teams, we also included a key players section.
Florida State National Rankings
Slugging Percentage: 51st (.433)
Fielding Percentage: 131st (.970)
Team ERA: 71st (3.94)
Scoring Per Game: 38th (6.8)
Strength of Schedule: 4th
Mississippi State National Rankings
Slugging Percentage: 117th (.401)
Fielding Percentage: 95th (.972)
Team ERA: 91st (4.23)
Scoring Per Game: 125th (5.8)
Strength of Schedule: 10th
Key Players
*Denotes All-Conference Selection
OF Jake Mangum* – The star of the Mississippi State baseball program. Mangum has been named to an All-SEC team for three straight years, leading the conference in hits this past season with 82. He was also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. Mangum hit 20 doubles this season and possesses a .475 slugging percentage.
1B Tanner Allen* – One of the best newcomers in the SEC, Allen was named to the Freshman All-SEC Team after hitting 14 doubles, five triples, three home runs and 37 RBIs. That’s good for a .453 slugging percentage. He was one of three Bulldogs to start all 55 games.
P Ethan Small – Don’t let the name fool you. Ethan Small has come up big for Mississippi State this year with a team-leading 2.94 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 14 starts.
Oklahoma National Rankings
Slugging Percentage: 91st (.410)
Fielding Percentage: 72nd (.973)
Team ERA: 58th (3.84)
Scoring Per Game: 92nd (6.0)
Strength of Schedule: 25th
Key Players
OF Steele Walker* – The unanimous best hitter on Oklahoma’s team, Walker has smacked 13 home runs and 53 RBIs for a fantastic .606 slugging percentage. This was his second straight year with an All-Big 12 First Team selection.
P Jake Irvin* – With 15 starts under his belt, Irvin has a 2.85 ERA and 109 strikeouts. Oklahoma has a pretty deep rotation, but Irvin still stands out as the No. 1 starter.
OF Kyler Murray – Yes, that Kyler Murray. The dual-sport athlete is excelling on the diamond more than the gridiron. Murray has impressed at the plate with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs. That gives him a .556 slugging percentage — second on the team behind Walker. He also has 10 stolen bases this year.
Samford National Rankings
Slugging Percentage: 178th (.381)
Fielding Percentage: 210th (.965)
Team ERA: 27th (3.49)
Scoring Per Game: 141st (5.7)
Strength of Schedule: 138th
Key Players
P Samuel Strickland* – Samford’s top-30 team ERA begins with Strickland. He has started 13 games and delivered a 1.89 ERA. He also leads the team with 82 strikeouts. When exactly the Bulldogs plan to roll him out in the regional remains a mystery.
DH Brooks Carlson* – Carlson is another impressive freshman. He is Samford’s top hitter after notching eight home runs and 44 RBIs this past season. Carlson leads the team in hits with 76 and batting average with a .350 mark.
P Wyatt Burns – The lowest ERA on the team actually belongs to Burns. He has only started one game, but has appeared in relief in 26 contests. Burns posted 12 saves on the season and figures to be a key part of the rotation when the Bulldogs square off with Florida State.
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