Louisville Region 2014 Baseball World Series Breakdown
Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas, Kent State
Louisville is coming off a College World Series trip last season and they have the experience to make another run. The Cardinals rely on a talented pitching staff, led by sophomore Kyle Funkhouser. Funkhouser went 12-2 this season with a 1.81 ERA and he will be joined in the rotation by junior Jared Ruxer, who was 7-1 with a 2.27 ERA. Should the Cardinals be leading late in the game, they have a big time arm to go to in closer Nick Burdi. Burdi has a 0.56 ERA, 14 saves and 56 strikeouts in just 32 innings of work. Offensively, the Cardinals love to use their speed on the base paths, as they are third in the country in steals per game at 2.04. Seniors Jeff Gardner, .340 BA, 9 home runs and 66 RBI’s, and Cole Sturgeon, .324 BA, 30 RBI’s and 18 stolen bases, have led the way. Juniors Sutton Whitting and Grant Kay have added 33 and 21 stolen bases apiece and junior Zach Lucas has chipped in 42 RBI’s.
A.J. Reed is the name to watch in this regional. Kentucky’s utility man is hands down the best player in America. He is hitting .351 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI’s this season while also serving as Kentucky’s Friday night starter, where he has gone 11-2 with a 2.10 ERA. He is a big reason why the Wildcats have one of the nations top offenses, ranking in the top 20 in batting average, home runs per game, scoring offense and slugging percentage. Kansas, who is returning to the field after a four-year absence, is led by their balanced offensive lineup. A trio of juniors, Dakota Smith, Michael Suiter and Conner McKay, have driven in over 40 runs, while McKay and senior Tucker Tharp have nine and six home runs, respectively. Kent State is the darkhorse in the regional, coming off a trip to Omaha in 2012. The Golden Flashes will use their high-powered offense to try and contend, as their top five hitters are all hitting over .300 and have driven in at least 32 RBI’s. Senior 1B Cody Koch is a name to watch, as he has hit 7 home runs and driven in 55 runs. This regional is going to feature a lot of offense and whatever team has the best pitching will likely win, as all four teams can put up runs.
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