These are two teams that are fairly evenly matched in most areas. They both finished 2nd in their respective divisions in their conferences. Both hovered in the upper reaches of the RPI most of the season. Both teams travelled to regionals. And both swept through their regionals handly. So what is in store for game 1? A good show for ESPN no doubt.

Coming in. the Bulldogs have a higher team batting average, average more runs pergame, and have a better On Base percentage than Clemson. Clemson on the other hand, has more homeruns, but their key is pitching and defense, where they hold the edge in ERA, opponenets batting average, and fielding percentage. So it will be a good hittinng team against a good picthing and defensive team.

For the Tigers, look for Doug Hogan, Andy D'Alessio and Marquez Smith to lead the offensive side. Hogan is in the midst of his second 13 game hitting streak of the year, D 'Alessio is fresh off being named the MVP of the Myrtle Beach regional and leads the team with 16 dingers, and Smith is a seasoned vet in his last year with the team. He has started every game for the Tigers this year.

On the mound, look for Daniel Moskos whose 3-5 record is decieving. He leads the team with 5 saves, has a 2.91 ERA, and was selected with the 4th overall pick in the MLB draft this week. He faced MSU last season, so he knows what to expect.

On the other side of the field, you see the Bulldogs. The team has seen numerous lineup changes in the last 4 weeks. Sr. Ccaptian Jeffrey Rea, who set the alltime MSU hit record at FSU last weekend, has shifted to CF in the last 2 weeks. Other shift have seen Brandon Turner go to 2B, Russ Sneed starting at 3B, and DH Brian LaNinfa starting at 1B. Freshman Jet Butler remains at SS, and another true frosh, Conner Power returns to the starting lineup as the DH.

Sophmore Chad Crosswhite takes the hill for State. Crosswhite is a throwback to pithcers of old. He wants the ball, and he will come at you. As intense a competitor as there is, Crosswhite has pitched exceptionally well is last few outings, including his matchup with David Price of Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournaent. And the bullpen led by Aaron Weatherford has been solid in the postseason.

When I got to the park at 7 this morning, it was beautiful and sunny with a cool breeze blowing. at ( am when the gates opened, it had warmed up, and there are clouds moving in. the forecast is for a 50% chance of rain. Most of the rain possibility will be in the mid to late afternoon. Game time temps should be near 90, with the wind blowing out of the SW at 5-10 MPH. That means blowing OUT to dead CF!!

Its 9:10 AM now, and the gates have just opened, and there are already close to 500 folks in the stands. Last report had between 10,000 and 11,000 tournament booklets sold by close of business Thursday. There is a decidely festive feeling around the ballpark this week. it is like Christmas in June. Bulldog faithful are getting their first shot at a Super Regional since the format was created, and they are out inn force.

And of course, the Leftifled Lounge is in out in full force. Grills were hot and smoking at 7 this morning. Expectations of 8000 to 12,000 for the opening game should make for a great championship atmosphere for both ball clubs, the fans, and the fans watching from home.

It's about 9:20 or so now, and BP is in full swing. Fans are filling the stands, and the smell of BBQ is in the air. I think I will head out and sample somme off the hospitality.

Touching the Bases will return at the end of the game with complete analysis and a wrapup of today's game. To follow the action with live pitch-by-pitch information, head to Gametracker.