Sun Belt Tournament capsules

BRACKET ONE
No. 1 Middle Tennessee (38-15, 21-8 SBC)
Player to watch: OF/RHP Bryce Brentz (.485, 27 HR, 67 RBI)
Pitcher to watch: LHP Kenneth Roberts (8-1, 3.12 ERA)
Scouting the Blue Raiders: Brentz, just a sophomore, is one of the top players in the country and has been invited to try out for the Team USA squad and leads the nation in four statistical categories. Third baseman Rawley Bishop (.396, 14, 49) and outfielder Nathan Hines (.349, 10, 65) also lead a potent offense. Reliever Coty Woods has 11 saves. MTSU beat Western Kentucky twice last weekend to clinch the No. 1 seed.

No. 8 Florida Atlantic (29-24, 12-17 SBC)
Player to watch: CF David Wilson (.340, 7 HR, 10 SB)
Pitcher to watch: RHP Glen Troyanowski (4-3, 5.26 ERA, 6 saves)
Scouting the Owls: FAU won two over rival FIU and got into the tournament also with New Orleans getting swept. However, it’s been downhill since then as top hitter William Block was deemed academically ineligible for the tournament. Senior catcher Nick Criaris (.321) may not play due to a strained oblique. LHP Barry Rooks (3-1, 5.00 ERA) will likely start today. Longtime assistant John McCormack is in his first year as the team’s head coach.

No. 4 FIU (34-21, 18-12 SBC)
Player to watch: RF Tyler Townsend (.433, 24 HR, 76 RBI)
Pitcher to watch: RHP Tom Ebert (6-4, 3.74 ERA, 77 K)
Scouting the Golden Panthers: Infielder Ryan Mollica (.362, 8 HR, 40 RBI) is back after missing three weeks with illness. Ebert and Scott Rembisz (6-2, 4.50 ERA) give FIU a top-notch rotation. FIU hit 82 home runs, second in the league to MTSU’s 94. Tim Jobe and Steven Stropp both hit 10 homers this year. Junior Arroyo’s 23 stolen bases lead the league.

No. 5 UL-Lafayette (25-28-1, 14-15 SBC)
Player to watch: DH Scott Hawkins (.295, 8 HR, 28 RBI
Pitcher to watch: RHP Justin Robicheaux (2-3, 2.08 ERA)
Scouting the Ragin’ Cajuns: ULL comes in on a roll, having dominated New Orleans in a three-game sweep. Coach Tony Robicheaux has now won 800 career games. ULL had 40 runs, 50 hits and 8 HRs in the three-game sweep of UNO and carries the most offensive momentum into the tournament. Justin Robicheaux, the coach’s son, has given the team a big boost since moving into the starting rotation recently.

BRACKET TWO
No. 2 Western Kentucky (37-16, 21-8 SBC)
Player to watch: 3B Wade Gaynor (.383, 21 HR, 67 RBI)
Pitcher to watch: LHP Matt Hightower (6-2, 3.59 ERA)
Scouting the Hilltoppers: WKU, the preseason league favorite, led from start to finish but lost out on the No. 1 seed after losing two to MTSU to close the year. Gaynor, OF Chad Cregar (14 HRs) and OF Matt Rice (.403, 8 HR, 63 RBI) lead the offense, which was second in the league to MTSU in team batting. Hightower, the SBC Pitcher of the Year, Shane Cameron (5-1, 4.66) and Matt Ridings (7-2, 4.71) are three front-line starters. WKU won the conference tournament last year.

No. 7 UL-Monroe (28-25, 12-17 SBC)
Player to watch: SS Ben Soignier (.379, 9 HR, 65 RBI)
Pitcher to watch: LHP Keith Christensen (5-3, 5.07 ERA)
Scouting the Warhawks: ULM got swept in its final series at Troy, then had to wait last week while other teams knocked each other out as the Warhawks backed their way into the 7th seed. ULM is one of the top power teams in the league (77 HR) but struggled on the mound with a 6.40 ERA. SBC Newcomer of the Year Boomer Blanchard (12 HR) and Jon Prevost (14 HR) are the top power guys.

No. 3 Troy (32-21, 18-10 SBC)
Player to watch: 1B Ryan Ditthardt (.324, 7 HR, 53 RBI)
Pitcher to watch: RHP Tyler Ray (7-3, 4.67 ERA)
Scouting the Trojans: Troy lost 2-of-3 to first-round opponent South Alabama last week, but finished the home schedule by winning series over SBC foes MTSU and ULM. 2B Trevor Tyre is hitting .459 with 3 HR, 4 doubles and 12 RBIs in May. SS Adam Bryant (shoulder) is questionable. Ray, the SBC Freshman of the Year and second-team all-league pitcher Chris Sorce (2-0, .261, 5 saves) have been the most consistent Trojans on the mound.

No. 6 South Alabama (25-28, 13-16 SBC)
Player to watch: David Doss (.383, 12 HR, 59 RBI)
Pitcher to watch: RHP Lance Baxter (3-3, 3.76 ERA, 6 saves)
Scouting the Jaguars: USA is third in the league in average (.329) and second in stolen bases (81), but has hit a league-worst 35 HRs. The pitching has also struggled to a 6.50 team ERA, worst among tournament participants. Doss, the 2006 Freshman of the Year, is one of the league’s most feared hitters and the Jaguars have been a tough team to strike out.