I confirmed today that Boston College will throw junior right-hander Justin Dunn against Emerson Gibbs on Friday in Oxford. Clearly, Dunn could give Tulane major headaches with his fastball that has gotten past 95 miles per hour and a microscopic ERA, but it will be interesting to see how he fares.
Not once has Dunn started a series opener, so he could feel more pressure than normal in the regional. He was a bullpen guy who was elevated to Saturday starter with seven weeks left in the season, and although he was lights out, pitching 37 innings while giving up only five earned runs, he never went longer than seven innings until tossing a complete game against Georgia Tech on the final weekend of the regular season. He also has not had to deal with southern heat like he will face Friday (assuming the game is not delayed by rain), so it is questionable how long he can last.
Tulane has fared well against power pitchers this year. In fact, it almost seems like the Wave is bothered by junk-ballles more than fast ball guys. Pitchers who hit their spots generally don't give up much to Tulane, so the pivotal part for Dunn will be location. Even though he has great stuff, too many pitches over the plate likely would turn into a home run or two.
Emerson Gibbs pitched poorly against Houston last Thursday, but he can dominate Boston College if he keeps the ball low like he normally does. The Eagles don't have much power and like to manufacture runs, but a sharp Gibbs would not allow many base runners. David Pierce told me today he likes the matchup of Gibbs the best against Boston College, with Corey Merrill right behind him.
It should be a good game. Aaron Fitt and Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com label the Oxford regional the toughest of them all, citing Tulane's pitching depth, Boston College's all-around ability and Utah's status as Pact-12 regular season champion. But if Gibbs hits his spots, I really like Tulane's chances in a low-scoring game.
Not once has Dunn started a series opener, so he could feel more pressure than normal in the regional. He was a bullpen guy who was elevated to Saturday starter with seven weeks left in the season, and although he was lights out, pitching 37 innings while giving up only five earned runs, he never went longer than seven innings until tossing a complete game against Georgia Tech on the final weekend of the regular season. He also has not had to deal with southern heat like he will face Friday (assuming the game is not delayed by rain), so it is questionable how long he can last.
Tulane has fared well against power pitchers this year. In fact, it almost seems like the Wave is bothered by junk-ballles more than fast ball guys. Pitchers who hit their spots generally don't give up much to Tulane, so the pivotal part for Dunn will be location. Even though he has great stuff, too many pitches over the plate likely would turn into a home run or two.
Emerson Gibbs pitched poorly against Houston last Thursday, but he can dominate Boston College if he keeps the ball low like he normally does. The Eagles don't have much power and like to manufacture runs, but a sharp Gibbs would not allow many base runners. David Pierce told me today he likes the matchup of Gibbs the best against Boston College, with Corey Merrill right behind him.
It should be a good game. Aaron Fitt and Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com label the Oxford regional the toughest of them all, citing Tulane's pitching depth, Boston College's all-around ability and Utah's status as Pact-12 regular season champion. But if Gibbs hits his spots, I really like Tulane's chances in a low-scoring game.