Ryan Flaherty (58%) defeated Liz Sherwood (42%) to earn a trip to the finals. He will take on either Earl Bennett or Pedro Alvarez.

How they got here:

Flaherty has had an impressive tournament run, beating runner Rita Jorgensen in the first round, edging quarterback Mackzenzi Adams in the second round and then upsetting top-seeded Shan Foster in the quarterfinals. Sherwood's run was equally difficult, defeating runner Austin Williamson in the first round, topping teammate Christina Wirth in the second round and taking down linebacker Jonathan Goff in the quarterfinals

How they stack up:

Individual accolades

Flaherty enters this season with a remarkable 35-game hitting streak and is a consensus first-team All-SEC shortstop. Sherwood, meanwhile, is a two-time Southeastern Conference "Sixth Woman" of the Year.

Edge: Flaherty

Team success

Thanks in large part to Flaherty, the Commodores won the SEC regular season and tournament titles, were ranked No. 1 for the majority of the 2007 season and hosted a regional for the first time in school history. Sherwood helped her squad capture the SEC Tournament title.

Edge: Flaherty

National exposure

Flaherty has shined on the national stage the past two summers, first in the prestigious Cape Cod League and then for Team USA. It should come as no surprise, then, that he is a preseason second-team All American. Sherwood is well-known in the college basketball community.

Edge: Flaherty

Fan appeal

Flaherty is a fan favorite for his at-bat music from "The Departed," while Sherwood could be one of the most recognizable athletes on campus.

Edge: Sherwood

"It" factor

This one is tough to define, but if you had to choose between the starting shortstop who's a combination of Derek Jeter and Joe DiMaggio and the energetic center who's the life of every party, we'll go with Flaherty - barely.

Edge: Flaherty

The Hustler's Take: Both athletes have earned the right to advance to the Final Four, but you when add everything up, Flaherty should be moving on to the finals to take on either Pedro Alvarez or Earl Bennett.