University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Stanford University
HookC Squares Off Against No. 2 Stanford in Supers
6/11/2022 11:10:00 AM | Baseball
PALO ALTO, Calif. - The UConn baseball team (49-14) squares off against No. 2 Stanford in its second Super Regional appearance in program history. Game one will start at 10:30 ET on ESPNU.
Super Regionals are a best two-out-of-three format with the winner advancing to the College World Series.
The Huskies are coming off a College Park Regional title that saw UConn defeat No. 15 Maryland twice in front of its home crowd and also defeated ACC foe Wake Forest.
UConn has set the school record for wins with 49 this season.
College Park Regional Champs... The Huskies earned their second trip to Super Regionals by going 3-1 in the College Park Regional as the No. 3 seed. The Huskies battled two Top-10 offenses in Wake Forest and Maryland and outscored the power 5 opponents 35-27. UConn took two-of-three against No. 15 Maryland in a hostile environment at "The Bob". The Huskies clinched the regional championship 11 years to the day of winning the 2011 Clemson Regional.Â
HookC in NCAA Tournament... The Huskies have been to eight NCAA Tournaments since 2010 and four-straight. During that stretch the Huskies have won 16 games. The 16 wins during that time is tied for 30th in the country.Â
Willis Sealing Wins...UConn closer Justin Willis ranks second in the country with 15 saves on the season. The right-hander is a bulldog on the mound with a 2-1 record in 23 appearances. In 25.0 innings he has 41 punch outs and has converted 15 saves in 16 opportunities. The West New York, N.Y. natives escaped tragedy with his family last June when a Surfside Condo collapsed in Miami, Fl. With his perspective on life, Willis never seems fazed out on the hill.
Korey Jack Of All Trades... Sophomore Korey Morton has been a big boost to the UConn offense this season. As a DH/OF, Morton leads the team with a .411 AVG, 1.114 OPS in 37 games. The speedster missed 20 games due to a hamstring injury but is back in the lineup and swinging it well. In the BIG EAST Tournament, Morton recorded his first multi-HR game of his career against Creighton. The Norwalk, Conn. native went 5-11 with six RBI in the three games to earn BIG EAST All-Tournament team honors.
Donlan Does It All... The UConn catcher has been huge behind the plate and at the dish in his first season playing in Storrs. The Stonehill College transfer has thrown out 22 base runners this season and also picked off four runners. The Guilford, Conn. native has started at catcher in every game since April 6 (35 games). At the plate, Donlan has been a clutch performer, leading the team with 27 two-out RBIs. Donlan has hit 11 homers this season with six of them being three-run homers and two of them grand slams. With his three-run homer and grand slam against Maryland during the regional, Donlan earned Most Outstanding Player honors.Â
Padilla Producing.. 2 YR FR Bryan Padilla has put together a strong first season on the field in Storrs. The shorstop took over the job the fifth game of the season and hasn't let it go since. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native is hitting .288 with 62 hits, 50 runs scored, 13 doubles, eight homers and 36 RBIs. In his first NCAA Tournament, he hit .467 with four runs scored, two doubles, one homer and four driven in to earn All-Tournament team honors.Â
T.C. Heating Up.. T.C. Simmons has been a weapon defensively in centerfield all season long. The El Cajon, Calif. native was big in the batter's box in the College Park Regional going 5-11 (.455) with five runs scored, three walks, three hit by pitches and two stolen bases. Simmons is hitting .276 with 52 runs scored, 17 doubles, five homers and 38 RBI.Â
