NCAA Regionals: Day 3 top performers
The pressure of the NCAA Tournament ratcheted up Sunday as some teams punched their ticket to the Super Regionals while others saw their title dreams dashed. Here are some of the top Draft prospects who stepped up on the third day of regional play.
1B Niko Kavadas (MLB.com No. 139), Notre Dame
The Irish stormed through to the Super Regionals by scoring 50 runs in three games, and Kavadas played a prominent role. The lefty’s home run in the second inning against Central Michigan on Sunday was his fifth of the regional and his 21st of the season, setting a new program record. He will carry a .600/.750/2.100 slash line into the next round.
RHP/SS Spencer Schwellenbach (MLB.com No. 53), Nebraska
The Cornhuskers had to win two games Sunday to keep their season alive and they were able to do so thanks to Schwellenbach’s work at the plate and on the mound. He picked up two hits and three RBIs in Nebraska’s first game of the day, an 18-4 drubbing of NJIT. In the nightcap, against No. 1 national seed Arkansas, Schwellenbach had a game-tying hit in the fifth before throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings to force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday.
C Luca Tresh (MLB.com No. 69); SS Jose Torres (MLB.com No. 72); OF Tyler McDonough (MLB.com No. 111), North Carolina State
This trio led the Wolfpack’s 14-run, 19-hit attack Sunday against Louisiana Tech. Tresh crushed his 14th home run of the season, while Torres scored twice and notched a two-run double. Torres also made an impressive diving catch in the eighth inning. McDonough collected three hits to improve his tournament batting average to .400. All three men will carry slugging percentages north of .650 into the Super Regionals.
SS Matt McLain (MLB.com No 12), UCLA
McLain put together another solid performance before the curtain dropped on the Bruins’ season Sunday. He went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs in a victory over North Carolina. He also drove in one of UCLA’s two runs in a loss later in the day to Texas Tech. McLain notched seven hits and eight RBIs in 16 at-bats this weekend.
C Matheu Nelson (MLB.com No. 90); OF Robby Martin (MLB.com No. 96), Florida State
The Seminoles also fell short on Sunday, but both of their Top 100 studs came to play. Martin ended what was a quiet weekend for him on a high note with two hits and two RBIs against Southern Miss. Nelson got on base three times, including a single and a double. He posted a .300/.417/.700 slash line in FSU’s four NCAA Tournament games.
OF Ryan Holgate (MLB.com No. 97), Arizona
Holgate’s 413-foot homer on Sunday night gave the Wildcats the breathing room they needed to get past UC Santa Barbara 5-2 and advance to the Super Regionals. The sophomore was nearly unstoppable for the Pac-12 champions. Holgate hit .556 with four runs in Arizona’s three games in the Regionals.