USC'S BIG THREE BIG PROBLEM FOR FIU.

Byline: CHRIS COCOLES College Baseball 

Mark Prior, Rik Currier and Anthony Reyes form a pitching rotation most college coaches dream of carrying into a best-of-three series.

``Throw another left-hander in there, maybe,'' Fresno State coach Bob Bennett quipped. ``They're very good pitchers.''

The three USC right-handers provide USC an advantage in this weekend's NCAA Super Regional against Florida International at Dedeaux Field.

The Trojans might lack a southpaw in their rotation, but Prior, Currier and Reyes offer the Panthers a perplexing dilemma:

How to win twice in three games at Dedeaux against Collegiate Baseball's Player of the Year (Prior), a senior who has started postseason games his whole career (Currier) and a torrid sophomore with one earned run allowed in his last 33 innings (Reyes).

In the old days of winning six-team regionals to reach the College World Series, three starters as talented as USC's wouldn't be enough. Winning at least four games in three days was required, and falling into the losers' bracket meant pulling out more pitching depth.

``When we used to get through with regionals, anybody that wanted to could complain about pitching too much,'' Bennett said.

Now the 64-team NCAA Tournament includes a four-team tournament and the two-team super regional.

USC didn't need to extend its staff far beyond Prior, Currier and Reyes. Three consecutive victories clinched the regional title.

The Trojans don't figure to simply cruise past Florida International this weekend. The Golden Panthers are 43-17 and beat UC Santa Barbara and Notre Dame twice to win the South Bend, Ind., regional. But FIU must find a way to squeeze two victories against Prior (13-1, 1.54 ERA), Currier (11-2, 2.60) and Reyes (5-3, 3.42).

In a similar scenario last season, Georgia Tech lost to Currier and then Prior in a two-game super-regional sweep that confirmed the Trojans' boarding pass to Omaha.

``This is the kind of team that figures to be a stronger team in a short tournament than a long tournament,'' USC coach Mike Gillespie said. ``Because we're not as deep. But certainly among those first three, we're pretty good.''

--Draft watch: Baseball America ranked Prior the No. 1 prospect for next week's major-league draft. Also on the list were UCLA pitcher Josh Karp (No. 13), Pepperdine pitchers Noah Lowry (51) and Dan Haren (57) and Cal State Northridge shortstop J.T. Stotts (90).

--Injury update: Senior utility man Josh Self played second base in the regional, the Trojans' third starter at the position this year.

Incumbent Anthony Lunetta is restricted to designated hitter's duty because of an elbow injury.

Promising freshman and Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks product Jon Brewster, a solid replacement when Lunetta first suffered soreness in his arm, is out with a bum shoulder. Gillespie said he doesn't expect Brewster to return for the remainder of the postseason.

--Ticket information: Super-regional passes are $40 for adults and $20 for children 12-under. Single-game tickets cost $15 for adults and $8 for children. Information: [phone].

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NCAA SUPER REGIONALS