On Monday, the NCAA announced the 64 collegiate baseball teams to earn the honor to be a part of the Division I national tournament, which will begin Friday at noon when the Missouri Tigers take on the Ole Miss Rebels. In preview of the regional tournaments that will be held this weekend, throughout the week our resident college baseball fanatic Rosenblogger will examine each individual regional:

Raleigh Regional

1. NC State Wolfpack (38-20) vs 4. James Madison Dukes (38-17)
2. South Carolina Gamecocks (38-21) vs 3. Charlotte 49ers (43-14)

Winner to take on champion of Athens Regional.

North Carolina State may seem a surprise regional host to some, but the Wolfpack put together a very solid season with a 38-20 overall record, and an 18-11 record in the powerful ACC. The strength of their club is unquestionably its pitching staff, which enters regional play with a 3.41 team ERA.

They will open the tournament facing offensive-minded James Madison, in what will be a definite contrast in styles. JMU features a very potent offense led by sluggers Brett Sellers (.414 AVG, 16 HR, 52 RBI) and Steven Caseres (.349 AVG, 21 HR, 68 RBI). Unlike NC State, James Madison has struggled on the mound all year and will need their pitching staff to step up if they want a chance to beat the Wolfpack. Without a clearly-defined number one, the Dukes could go in several directions on the mound, but expect Kurt Houck (7-2, 4.86 ERA) or Justin Wood (4-3, 5.19 ERA) to get the ball against the host team.

NC State does not feature a dangerous offense, so if the James Madison pitchers can execute, expect them to be in the game late. However, the edge in pitching will be too much for the Dukes to handle, as NC State will win a close opening round contest.

The 2 vs 3 matchup features two big time offenses, with South Carolina taking on Charlotte. Charlotte comes in hitting .331 as a team, while South Carolina led the SEC with 103 home runs on the year. Neither club features a dominant starting pitcher, and it is unknown who will even start for South Carolina against likely Charlotte starter Joe Yermal (8-1, 3.81 ERA). South Carolina has a more talented ball club, with threats throughout the order. Led by first-basemen Justin Smoak (.377, 21 HR, 66 RBI), they will be too much for the 49ers.

This regional will likely come down to the powerful offense of South Carolina versus the pitching and defense of NC State. Without a dominant arm behind Clayton Shunick (7-5, 2.12 ERA, 100 K in 89.1 IP), I don’t see the Wolfpack being able to stop the Gamecocks’ bats deep into the tournament. With too much offense and just enough pitching, I like South Carolina to advance to the super regionals.

Rosenblogger

Also, check out our other regional previews: Ann Arbor, Athens, Baton Rouge, Cary, College Station, Conway, Coral Gables, Fullerton, Houston, Lincoln, Long Beach, Palo Alto, Stillwater, Tallahassee, Tempe

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