May 30, 2007

Kendall Rogers
Rivals.com College Baseball Editor

As the top seed, Vanderbilt is the favorite to win the national title. However, other teams such as Arizona State and Texas might have something else in mind. Perhaps a new program will jump to the forefront of college baseball.

Rivals.com takes you inside the action with the Regional Insider.

MORE: Regional schedule | Regional seed breakdown | Printable bracket

Round Rock Regional | Round Rock, Texas
1. Texas (44-15)	2. UC Irvine (40-15)	3. Wake Forest (34-26)	4. Brown (27-19)
The Favorite: Texas It shouldn't come as a surprise, but the Longhorns have what it takes to go the distance and win a national title. While Texas earned a tough draw in the Round Rock Regional, they're still the heavy favorite for good reason. The Longhorns are one of the top offensive teams in the country. They also have a talented pitching staff with James Russell and Adrian Alaniz leading the charge. Reliever Joseph Krebs has also assumed an important role this spring, while veteran closer Randy Boone has been outstanding. While the pitching staff is littered with talented arms, Texas also has an outstanding lineup with hard-hitting outfielder Kyle Russell and first baseman Chance Wheeless leading the charge.
Dark horse candidate: UC Irvine Texas is the easy favorite in this Regional, but if anyone is going to knock the hometown Longhorns off their perch, it's coach Dave Serrano and the Anteaters. The Eaters enter the Round Rock Regional ranked in the top 10 by Rivals.com for a reason. While the Eaters have a productive lineup, their strongest suit is a pitching staff that is led by outstanding weekend starters Scott Gorgen and Wes Etheridge. Gorgen is holding teams to a .239 batting average this spring, while Etheridge has a 2.88 ERA in 109 1/3 innings. The Anteaters also have a front-line closer in Blair Erickson. Erickson has a 2.57 earned-run average and 13 saves.
Best hitter: Texas OF Kyle Russell In just his second season with the Longhorns, Russell has become one of the nation's most feared hitters. The sophomore enters the Round Rock Regional with impressive offensive numbers. Russell is hitting .341 with 27 home runs and 70 RBIs. He's also slugging .825 and has a .452 on-base percentage. In addition, Russell has nine stolen bases, 11 doubles and five triples.
Best pitcher: Texas RHP Adrian Alaniz After having a less than stellar 2006 campaign, Alaniz is back to his freshman form this spring. The junior has solidified himself as one of the nation's top pitchers and enters the weekend with a 12-2 record and a 2.58 ERA in 97 2/3 innings. Alaniz has also struck out 84 and walked 29, while opponents are hitting him at a .212 clip. In 15 starts this season, Alaniz has thrown two complete games.
Regional review With a home crowd and a team that is used to playing games at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas, the Longhorns should be in good shape this weekend. However, UC Irvine or perhaps even Wake Forest could surprise if given the opportunity. If the Longhorns play like they have throughout the season, it will be tough for the Anteaters or Demon Deacons to knock them off. Anything is possible ? The Longhorns have a productive offensive lineup that is led by sophomore Kyle Russell. While Russell has garnered the most headlines this season, fellow sophomore outfielder Jordan Danks is heating up after frustrating opposing pitchers the last two weeks. Danks' resurgence could spell trouble for the Eaters and Demon Deacons ? UC Irvine is one of the better coached teams in the field and if there's one coach Dave Serrano knows, it's Augie Garrido. Serrano carries a talented one-two punch into Austin, while the offense is led by the talented trio of Ben Orloff, Taylor Holiday and Cody Cipriano ? After playing good baseball at the ACC Tournament last week, Wake Forest could surprise some. Willy Fox and Allan Dykstra lead the charge for the Deacons, while shortstop Dustin Hood makes a return to his home ? the Lone Star State. Reliever Josh Ellis is another key player to watch ? Brown has played just 10 games against top-100 teams. In those games, the Bears compiled a dismal 2-8 record.