2017 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship - Fort Worth Super Regional
Matchup	Missouri State Bears (43-1) at TCU Horned Frogs (45-16)
Fort Worth Super Regional	Bracket  |  Lupton Stadium (4,500)  |  Fort Worth, Texas  |  Tournament Central
Game 1	Saturday, June 10  |  5 p.m. (CDT)  |  ESPNU
Game 2	Sunday, June 11  |  5 p.m. (CDT)  |  ESPN2/ESPNU
Game 3	Monday, June 12  |  TBA (CDT)  |  ESPN/ESPN2
Series History	Bears lead 2-0 (0-0 in NCAA Championship play)
Game Notes	Missouri State  |  TCU
Listen	KBFL 1060 AM/96.9 FM
Follow	NCAA Championship Central  |  Live Stats  |  @MSUBearBaseball

PRIME 9

• MSU is making its third NCAA Division I Super Regional appearance and its second in the last three seasons after edging host and top seed Arkansas in the deciding game of the Fayetteville Regional on Monday
• The Bears enter the Fort Worth Super Regional with an overall postseason mark of 21-20 as a Division I program, including a 3-2 record in their two previous Super Regional appearances; MSU swept Ohio State in two games to claim the 2003 Columbus Super Regional, before falling to Arkansas in three games two years ago in Fayetteville
• MSU has won at least one game in each of its last eight NCAA Regional appearances dating back to 1996, claiming two or more victories in seven of those trips to the postseason after going 3-1 last weekend in Fayetteville
• The Bears claimed wins in their only two previous meetings with TCU, sweeping a two-game series at Meador Park in Springfield in April 1990 
• With 44 home runs, All-America infielders Jake Burger and Jeremy Eierman have combined to post the top home run total by Division I teammates this season; Burger became MSU's 11th first-team All-American Thursday with his selection to Baseball America's top postseason squad
• MSU has scored at least three runs in an inning 52 times and is 21-0 when hitting two or more home runs in a game    
• The Bears' bullpen also features a pair of All-Americans in 2017 MVC Pitcher of the Year Jake Fromson and three-time NCBWA Stopper of the Year candidate Bryan Young; Fromson ranks second nationally in WHIP (0.78), while Young took ownership of MSU's all-time appearances mark with his 88th outing in Monday's Regional clincher   
• MSU has 18 come-from-behind victories this year and 59 total comeback wins since the start of the 2015 season             
• The Bears have drawn a program record 346 walks this season, which ranks fourth among all Division I clubs; Hunter Steinmetz (45), Burger (42) and Eierman (39) each rank among the top five MVC players in walks

LEADING OFF
After wrapping up their second NCAA Regional title in three seasons, the Missouri State Bears return to Super Regional play this weekend when they meet the TCU Horned Frogs at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. Missouri State (43-18) will take on the Horned Frogs — the No. 6 national seed in the 2017 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship — to open the Fort Worth Super Regional Saturday (June 10) at 5 p.m. (CDT), with single games also set for Sunday at 5 p.m., and Monday (TBA), if necessary. All Super Regional contests will be televised live on ESPN2 or ESPNU.

Super Regional play involves a best-of-three format, with the eight winners advancing to the 2017 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, June 17-28. The eight CWS teams are divided into two double-elimination pools of four schools each. Pool winners meet in a best-of-three championship series, June 26-28.

FEELING SUPER
The Bears are back in the Super Regional round of the postseason for the second time in three seasons and the third time overall as a Division I program. Overall, the Bears are 3-2 in Super Regional play, sweeping the Columbus Super Regional against Ohio State in 2003 to earn the program's first trip to the Division I College World Series, then dropping two of three games to Arkansas at the Fayetteville Super Regional in 2015.

MSU and TCU have played twice previously, with the Bears sweeping a two-game set from the Horned Frogs, April 8-9, 1990 in Springfield. One footnote of significance from that series was an 11-run sixth inning by the Bears in a 26-2 victory in game one, marking the seventh-biggest scoring rally in program history. MSU also clipped TCU by a much closer 5-4 score in the second game.

ALL-AMERICAN BURGER
Jake Burger became the 11th Bear to earn first-team All-America recognition Thursday, when Baseball America tabbed the third baseman for its top 2017 postseason squad. Sophomore shortstop Jeremy Eierman joined Burger on MSU's list of honorees, picking up third-team laurels from BA. Burger, a semifinalist for both the Dick Howser Trophy and USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award, becomes just the third Bear to receive first-team All-America honors from Baseball America, joining Nick Petree (2012) and Matt Cepicky (1999) on MSU's distinguished list of honorees.

A REGIONAL TO REMEMBER
MSU avenged its 2015 Fayetteville Super Regional setback by claiming two of three meetings with Arkansas, in addition to its opening-round win over Oklahoma State, last weekend to claim its third Division I Regional title. After going 0-6 in one-run games during the regular season, the Bears pulled out  all three of their Regional wins by the slimmest of margins, while their only setback on the weekend was a one-run loss as well. 

All-America shortstop Jeremy Eierman led the way with a pair of monumental home runs that provided the winning margins in two of the Bears' three wins. In Friday's opener, the sophomore clubbed a two-out, two-run walk-off shot to beat OSU--his second homer of the game and his fourth long ball in two career games at Baum Stadium. He came through again in Monday's deciding contest, belting a two-run, sixth-inning round-tripper to break a 1-1 tie.

Eierman finished the Fayetteville Regional with three homers and six RBIs to lead the Bears, while sophomore center fielder Hunter Steinmetz was equally as hot, batting .429 in MSU's four games. Steinmetz left his mark in the field as well, turning in a highlight-reel catch against the wall in left-center field to rob extra bases in Monday's deciding contest. Steinmetz's performance in Fayetteville last weekend continued a torrid stretch drive for the sophomore, who has hit .455 (15-for-33) with six multi-hit games in the Bears' last eight outings since May 25. Senior left-hander Jordan Knutson factored in all four games on the mound, picking up relief wins in the Bears' first two games and his first save of the season in the clincher with 2 1/3 perfect innings of relief to close out the win.

BEARS IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
The Bears enter the Fort Worth Super Regional with a 21-20 all-time NCAA Division I Championship record in 10 overall appearances. They claimed their third Regional title overall and their first as a No. 2 seed at last weekend's Fayetteville Regional, going 3-1 against Oklahoma State and Arkansas. 

MSU went 2-2 at the Lincoln Regional in 2002 in its previous appearance as a No. 2 seed, dropping an 11-inning, opening-round matchup with Marist, before rallying for a pair of wins and finishing as the regional runner-up. The Bears posted a 6-1 win over Milwaukee, then exacted revenge on Marist with a 5-2 decision before host Nebraska claimed the regional with a 14-3 victory.

MSU has recorded a postseason victory in each of its last eight NCAA Championship appearances, claiming at least two wins in seven of those trips.  

BEARS CLIMB THE CHARTS
Junior All-American Jake Burger has continued his ascension toward the top of several MSU career charts this spring, most notably the Bears' home runs and hits lists. Burger homered for the 47th time as a Bear May 26 against Wichita State and currently sits in sixth on that list, just three shy of Ryan Howard in the No. 5 spot. 

Burger also climbed to No. 11 on MSU's all-time hits chart with 240, passing Steve Hacker, Brooks Colvin and Matt Cepicky on the list during MSU's regional run last week. The third baseman also enters Super Regional play sixth on MSU's career extra-base hits list and seventh in career RBIs (179). Senior reliever Bryan Young also topped the Bears' career appearances (88) leaderboard with his outing in Monday's Regional title game, surpassing Scott Geitz (1995-98).

'DLS' DIGGING THE LONG BALL
After the Missouri State duo of Spencer Johnson and Jake Burger teamed up to post the top combined home run total in the country last spring, the Bears can boast the top 1-2 power punch in Division I baseball again this season. Joining forces with shortstop Jeremy Eierman on the left side of the MSU infield, Burger is once again near the top of the NCAA leaderboard with 22 home runs. Eierman, a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, caught his fellow Bear at last weekend's Fayetteville Regional, going deep three times to help MSU earn its third trip to the Super Regional round. 

The Bears 'DLS' (Dirty Left Side) boys — both of which were named semifinalists for the NCBWA's Dick Howser Trophy — share the No. 6 spot on the Division I home run chart and lead Wake Forest's Gavin Sheets (20) and Johnny Aiello (18) by six home runs for the national lead in combined homers by teammates. Additionally, the duo is on the brink of moving up the Bears' single-season chart for combined homers, entering the weekend one long ball shy of the No. 2 total in program history. Last year, Burger and Johnson combined to hit 45 homers, which ranked as the second-best total for MSU teammates in program history, 10 behind the 1999 combination of Matt Cepicky (30) and Jon Hale (25).

As a team, the Bears have used the long ball to their advantage all season, with 78 home runs as a club entering Super Regional play. That total ranks as the No. 13 total in the country, with MSU logging a perfect 21-0 record this season when hitting at least two home runs in a game. Additonally, the Bears have gone 9-0 when both Burger and Eierman have gone deep in the same contest this spring. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Several Bears are turning heads on the national level, led by Jake Burger, who ranks sixth among all Division I players in home runs (22) entering Super Regional play. Burger also ranks sixth in runs scored (69), 10th in total bases (159) and 21st in slugging (.663). Jeremy Eierman shares the No. 6 spot in homers (22) and the sophomore also ranks 10th in total bases (159), 16th in RBIs (67) and 17th in slugging (.671). On the mound, Jake Fromson rates among the top hurlers in the country with the No. 2 WHIP (0.78) in the Division I ranks. The junior also ranks fourth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.08), 4th in total appearances (36) and 37th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.31).

As a team, the Bears rank fourth in walks (346), after eclipsing the program record for free passes in a season during the MVC Championship. MSU's team on-base percentage (.393) ranks 19th nationally and its WHIP of 1.25 is also the 19th-best figure in the Division I ranks.

YOUNG TOPS PITCHING CHARTS
Missouri State closer Bryan Young was one of 60 players named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's initial watch list for its 2017 Stopper of the Year Award, given annually to the top relief pitchers in Division I baseball.

A 2017 preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, Young is coming off one of the more dominant two-year stretches ever produced by a Bears reliever. He became Missouri State's 10th first-team All-American after setting a school record with 16 saves in 2015. The right-hander led the MVC and ranked third nationally in saves, while logging a perfect 7-0 record and a 1.30 earned run average. The MSU closer earned first-team All-America recognition from the NCBWA, as well as third-team honors from both Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball at the conclusion of the season. 

Young, who was one of five finalists for the 2015 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, picked up right where he left off as a sophomore, logging a 1.31 earned run average, while saving 11 games in his 24 mound appearances last season. 

The Kansas City, Mo., native owns MSU career records for appearances (88) and saves (35), and ranks third among all active Division I pitchers for career ERA (1.69). A two-time All-MVC selection, Young was named to the NCBWA's Stopper of the Year Award watch list for the third-consecutive season in late April. 

IN RARE COMPANY
Bears head coach Keith Guttin picked up his 1,200th career victory April 18 against Missouri. The Bears' 35th-year bench boss also moved up to 23rd in NCAA Division I history for coaching victories with the Bears' MVC-clinching win over Indiana State (May 13), surpassing Jay Bergman with his 1,211th win. He needs 11 more victories to match Jim Dietz's career total in the No. 22 spot on the NCAA's all-time wins list.

With a career record of 1,219-757 (.617), Guttin is the second-winningest coach in MVC history, while his win total ranks seventh among all active Division I head coaches. Guttin has guided the Bears to all 18 of their Division I postseason victories, as well as the program's 2003 College World Series berth.

WALK IT OFF
MSU drew a total of 26 free passes at the MVC Championship last week to surpass the program's single-season record for walks in a season (317 in 2015). The Bears season total of 346 walks leads the Valley and ranks fourth nationally entering Super Regional play. On an individual level, four different Bears rank among the top eight MVC totals for bases on balls this season, led by Hunter Steinmetz with a total of 45, which is tied for first in the conference and 27th nationally. 

CARDIAC CUBS
The Bears rallied for their 18th come-from-behind victory of the season with their walkoff win over Oklahoma State in the opening round of the Fayetteville Regional last Friday. Missouri State's victory over OSU marked its 59th comeback win since the start of the 2015 season. Last year, the Bears posted 17 comeback wins, on the heels of a 2015 season that saw them claim victory in 24 such contests.

MSU's comeback from a five-run deficit at Evansville on April 29 matched its biggest rally in the last seven years. Last March, the Bears overcame a 5-0 Arkansas State lead, coming all the way back to defeat the Red Wolves by a 15-11 final tally. The Bears' last come-from-behind win after trailing by five runs occurred on May 26, 2010, when MSU overcame a 7-2 deficit against Southern Illinois at the MVC Championship in Wichita.