Gameday: Tuscaloosa Regional for Eagles vs Troy Friday

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Match-Up: Boston College (35-18) vs. Troy (39-20)
Rank (Coaches Poll, D1Baseball): BC (24, NR), Troy (NR, NR)
Date: June 2 Times: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. Stadium: Sewell-Thomas Stadium
Stream: ESPN+

GAME NOTES

PITCHING MATCH-UP

Friday, 3 pm: RHP-John West (5-3) vs. RHP-Grayson Stewart (9-2)
Watch | Live Stats

ABOUT THE EAGLES

Boston College returns to the national tournament as the two-seed in the Tuscaloosa Regional with an overall record of 35-18 after posting its best season in ACC play at 16-14 and the six-seed in last week’s ACC Championship. The Eagles are making their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, first since 2016 and second under 13th-year head coach Mike Gambino. The BC lineup is powered by clean-up hitter and first baseman Joe Vetrano with a .305 average and .626 slugging percentage. He leads the Eagles in runs (48), hits (62), home runs (18), and RBI (55). Second on the team is senior leadoff hitter Barry Walsh at .303 with a team-high 13 stolen bases, while playing a stellar center field. Graduate transfer right-hander Chris Flynn has been the ace of the staff all season in the traditional Saturday role. He is 7-3 with a 4.21 earned run average and 82 strikeouts.

BC in the NCAA Tournament

All-Time NCAA Record: 23-23
NCAA Appearances: 12
College World Series Appearances: 4 (1953, 1960, 1961, 1967)
2016 Postseason: BC was the three-seed in the Oxford Regional, its last time in the tournament field. The Eagles swept the region with wins over Tulane, Utah, and a re-match with Tulane. BC then went to ACC rival Miami and won game two, 5-3, behind six innings from future Yankee Michael King, to force a rubber match that was won by the Hurricanes.
Longest Game in NCAA History: Playing in its first NCAA Tournament in 42 years, the 2009 Eagles were the three-seed at No. 1 overall seed Texas. The two sides linked up in the winner’s bracket and played the longest NCAA Tournament game in history; a 25-inning, 3-2 win for the host Longhorns.

THE DARK KNIGHT

Beginning with six innings of one-run ball to beat Clemson, handing the Tigers their last loss heading into regionals, junior right-hander John West has turned in a 1.63 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, and 6.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Most recently, he spun 5.2-shutout innings of relief against Clemson at the ACC Championship. West pitched a career-high seven innings at Fenway Park to secure a series over Notre Dame (5/19). He was scheduled to start the next day, but the forecast necessitated a Friday doubleheader to end the regular season. The game marked BC’s 11th Annual ALS Awareness Game. At the age of 13, West lost his father Ken to a battle with ALS.