Athens Regional
- Georgia (37-19) RPI: 9 –At-large bid SEC (Last bid 2011)
- Duke (40-15) RPI: 20 — At-large bid ACC (Last bid 2016)
- Troy (41-19) RPI: 39 — At-large bid Sun Belt (Last bid 2013)
- Campbell(35-24) RPI: 105 –Tournament & Reg. Season Big South champs(Last bid 2014)
The Georgia Bulldogs return to the NCAA Baseball Tournament for the first time since 2011. It’s been precisely 10 years since the Bulldogs finished as National runner-ups to Fresno State, and have a real shot to return to Omaha in 2018.
Keegan McGovern is a hoss, leading the Bulldogs with .325 BA, 15 home runs, 14 doubles, .630 SLG percentage, and committing zero errors in the outfield.
Georgia shines on defense, with a team fielding percentage of .979. No.1 starter Kevin Smith (8-1, 3.17 ERA) leads a Bulldogs pitching staff that glows with an ERA of 3.79.
The Duke Blue Devils are more than just a basketball school, with a resurgence in baseball the past few seasons — making the big dance in 2016 and just missing it last season. Before their recent success, the Blue Devils hadn’t qualified for the NCAA Baseball Tournament since the 1960’s.
Duke’s starters are not much to speak of, with a collective ERA of over 5.00. But, their bullpen carries the load, with two relievers with ERA’s below 1.00 ( Ethan DeCaster, Jack Labosky).
On the offensive end, Duke relies on timely hitting (only 49 home runs as a team and a decent .271 BA).
The Troy Trojans are often outshined by both Alabama and Auburn in the Heart of Dixie, but are getting some love during the 2018 campaign. Two wins against Tennesee Tech and a road win at Coastal Carolina pushed the Trojans into the big dance, and they have a solid enough team to make some noise in Athens.
It all begins with the offense-end for Troy, where Joey Denison (.387 BA) and Matt Sanders (.379 BA) lead a team that is hitting just a hair below .300. However, their pitching is fantastic too, with a reliable starting staff led by Andrew Crane (7-4, 2.82)and an even better bullpen — with six regular pitchers logging ERA’s at 3.00 or lower.
The Campbell Fighting Camels (fantastic name, right?) are a four-seed with much swagger — logging wins at Ohio State and NC State this season. They won’t be afraid of the moment and the Bulldogs better not take them lightly.
Big South pitcher of the year Allan Winans leads their staff (6-4, league-leading 2.51 ERA ) and the Camels had four players make the Big South first-team.
CTTP Predicted winner: Georgia