May 29, 2007

By Bill Hass
TheACC.com

GREENSBORO, N.C. - How do you reach "The Blatt?"

That's what locals call Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb., site of the College World Series. And getting there isn't easy.

Seven ACC baseball teams begin their quest to reach "The Blatt" when NCAA regional play starts Friday. Winners must hack their way through a four-team field in a double-elimination format.

The 16 survivors advance to eight Super Regionals the following weekend in a best-of-three series. Those eight winners earn the right to compete in the CWS, which starts June 15.

The ACC has more teams in the field of 64 than any other conference. It hopes to repeat the success of last year, when four of the league's seven teams made it to Omaha.

The one thing the conference would like to see is a different outcome. The ACC has not won a national baseball championship since 1955, when Wake Forest captured it. Another current member, Miami, won four titles before it joined the league. The Hurricanes won in 1982 and 1985 under Ron Fraser and 1999 and 2001 under current coach Jim Morris.

Here's a glance at what each ACC team is facing in regional play.

NORTH CAROLINA: The Tar Heels, fresh off winning the ACC tournament for the first time since 1990, are the No. 3 national seed. They have a built-in motivation, having advanced to Omaha but losing in the championship game to Oregon State last season.

North Carolina is in the field for the sixth straight year and 22nd time overall. The Tar Heels (48-12) begin play against Atlantic Sun champion Jacksonville (34-26) in the first round Friday at 6 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill. Their competition will be stiff, with the field rounded out by two good at-large teams within the state, Western Carolina (40-18) and East Carolina (39-21).

If North Carolina survives, it would host a Super Regional against the winner of the Columbia, S.C., regional, likely favorite South Carolina.

FLORIDA STATE: No strangers to the baseball playoffs, the Seminoles are making their 30th straight appearance and 45th overall.

Florida State (47-11) was ranked first or second in the polls much of the season. It is seeded sixth nationally and opens its regional with a game against MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman (33-25) at 7 p.m. Friday at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee. Rounding out the field are two at-large teams, Stetson (41-19) and Mississippi State (33-20).

If FSU wins its regional, it would host a Super Regional against the regional winner from Myrtle Beach, S.C. ACC opponent Clemson is a potential foe there.

VIRGINIA: The Cavaliers (43-14) are the third ACC team hosting a regional. They will meet Patriot League champion Lafayette (33-18) Friday at 4 p.m. in Charlottesville. Big East champion Rutgers (41-19) and at-large Oregon State (38-17) are the others in the field. The Beavers are the defending national champions.

Although still somewhat new to NCAA play, with six overall invitations, the Cavaliers are playing in their fourth straight tournament. If they win their regional, they will play in a Super Regional against the winner of the Nashville regional. Vanderbilt, the tournament's No. 1 seed, is the host there.

If someone upsets the Commodores, the Cavs have a chance to host the Super Regional.

CLEMSON: The Tigers (38-21) were hoping to host a regional but instead will travel to Myrtle Beach, where they are the No. 2 seed behind host Coastal Carolina (48-11).

Clemson begins play at noon Friday at Coastal Federal Field against St. John's (40-17), an at-large from the Big East. Big South champion Coastal Carolina will take on Colonial Athletic Association champion Virginia Commonwealth (37-21).

The Tigers, making their 14th straight appearance under coach Jack Leggett, will be looking to move to a Super Regional against the Tallahassee regional winner, where Florida State is favored.

MIAMI: The Hurricanes (36-22) extended their record by making the field for the 35th straight season. This year, Miami is the No. 2 seed in Columbia, Mo., and will play Louisville (40-20), an at-large from the Big East, at 2 p.m. EDT Friday. Host Missouri (40-15) meets Mid-American champion Kent State (33-24).

Miami knows how to get to Omaha, having made 10 trips in the last 13 years. If it can win here, it will move on to a Super Regional against the winner of the regional in Fayetteville, Ark. That has a tough field that includes Arkansas, Creighton and Oklahoma State.

N.C. STATE: The Wolfpack (37-21) made the field for the fifth straight year and 21st time overall. It is the second seed in the regional in Columbia, S.C., hosted by South Carolina.

State has a tough opener against Atlantic 10 champion Charlotte (47-10) at 2 p.m. Friday. Host South Carolina (42-18) will meet Wofford (30-31). The Terriers are the only team in the field with a losing record and qualified by winning the Southern Conference tournament.

It won't be easy to fight its way out of this regional, but if the Pack does it would move to a Super Regional against the Chapel Hill winner, probably old rival North Carolina.

WAKE FOREST: The Demon Deacons (33-27) were the last team to qualify for the ACC tournament, then made it to the championship game, losing 3-2 to North Carolina. Their performance in Jacksonville was good enough to get them off the bubble and into the field for the first time since 2003.

Wake has a tough assignment, seeded third in the regional in Round Rock, Texas. The Deacons open against UC-Irvine (40-15-1), an at-large team from the Big West, at 2 p.m. EDT Friday. Host Texas (44-15) meets Ivy League champion Brown (27-19). The Longhorns are the No. 4 national seed.

Should the Deacons pull the upset, they'll play in a Super Regional against the regional winner from Wichita, Kan., where the field includes Wichita State, Oral Roberts and Arizona.

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Bill Hass is a long-time observer of ACC sports. His career at the Greensboro News & Record spanned 36 years, from 1969 until his retirement in March, 2006. He is now writing "Bill Hass on the ACC" for TheACC.com. His weekly columns will keep fans plugged in to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

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