The Road to Omaha just got a lot tougher for the University of San Diego.
Monday morning’s NCAA Selection Show started off with a thud as 15th ranked USD, the WCC champions, were sent to Tempe, Arizona as the #2 seed against the #2 team in the nation. The Arizona State Sun Devils (47-8) are one of three teams in the country considered to be a class above the rest (Virginia and Texas being the others).
The Toreros (36-20) will open regional play against the WAC champions, #3 seed Hawaii (33-26) on Friday. #4 seed Milwaukee (33-24), the Horizon League champs, round out the four-team regional field.
Not surprisingly, the ebullient leader of the Toreros, head coach Rich Hill, is enthusiastic about his team’s chances and excited about getting out of Southern California and traveling for an NCAA regional. Hill joined 619 Sports after the selections were announced:
Read more after the jump AND listen to a reaction podcast from 619 Sports!
Short of being placed in the UCLA “Regional of Death”, which contains defending champ LSU and UC Irvine, the Toreros received arguably their toughest possible draw. USD has taken on all comers in 2010, but their trip to Packard Stadium in Tempe was the stuff of nightmares.
Kole Calhoun (13 HR, 52 RBI) is one of many tough hitters in the ASU lineup (ASU photo)
While many of USD’s toughest non-conference games came midweek when the Toreros’ dominant weekend rotation was on the shelf, head coach Rich Hill challenged all his top pitchers in their Arizona State trip, and they were all beaten back.
The Sun Devils took the first game 15-0, knocking Kyle Blair out after one inning (2 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned), then handling Sammy Solis for six hits and four runs (three earned) in two innings.
The next day, USD jumped out to a 5-0 lead before losing 11-6. A.J. Griffin started and worked six innings, allowing seven hits and five runs, three earned. Arizona State clinched the game against the Toreros’ top two relief arm, Matt Hauser (1.1 IP, 7H, 6R, 4ER).
USD faced their first-round opponent, Hawaii, on March 29th, losing 8-6 in a game when the Rainbow Warriors saw none of the Toreros’ top arms. They have not faced Milwaukee this year. The winner of the ASU regional will face the winner of the Arkansas regional in the super regionals.
UPDATED: 619 Sports’ Craig and Chris react to USD’s draw in their latest podcast:
Craig Elsten -
Chainsaw -
