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Jared Spencer (Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)
In what’s been the case each of the past two weekends, the SEC will again carry this weekend’s slate. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise considering the entire top five and eight of the top 10 teams in our latest Top 25 ranking are from the Southeastern Conference, but it’s impressive nonetheless.
Outside of the SEC, I’m especially interested in a pivotal series between West Coast powers No. 12 Oregon State and No. 13 UC Irvine.
An Unstoppable Force Meets An Immovable Object
I went into detail on both Texas and Georgia in each of the last two “What To Watch For” installments, so instead I’ll focus on the biggest storyline of the series, which is how Texas’ outstanding pitching staff will fare against Georgia’s relentless offense and vice versa. Starting with the Longhorns, their team ERA of 3.22 ranks third nationally, their team WHIP of 1.21 ranks 10th and their 7.15 hits allowed per game ranks eighth. Nearly every arm on the staff—outside of a few bad appearances—has been excellent, but especially the lefthanded duo of Jared Spencer (3-1, 3.62 ERA) and Dylan Volantis (2-0, 1.17 ERA).
Spencer has blossomed into a legitimate SEC Friday starter, while the freshman Volantis has been deployed in a myriad of roles and enjoyed immense success. They’ll certainly have their work cut out for them this weekend against one of the most high-powered lineups in college baseball, but I sense they’ll be up for the challenge. On offense, Texas will be without star outfielder Max Belyeu, who is week-to-week with a thumb injury that will require surgery. A massive loss, but I can’t help but think back to the Longhorns’ first-ever SEC series in which they swept Mississippi State on the road despite Belyeu and Jalin Flores (.302/.379/.613) going a combined 1-for-20. Belyeu is virtually irreplaceable, but a handful of Longhorn hitters have shown they can rise to the occasion when needed.
Simply put, Georgia’s offense is a freight train. Its 79 home runs and 306 total runs both lead the country, while its .615 slugging percentage ranks second nationally. It’s a unit that’s led by Robbie Burnett (.365/.564/.906) and Ryland Zaborowski (.448/.579/1.011). They rank first and second in the country with 15 and 14 home runs, respectively, while their respective RBI totals of 47 and 48 also rank inside the top five. There are no breaks in the Bulldogs’ lineup, and every hitter has shown the ability to do damage.
If any game this weekend turns into a slugfest, Georgia has the advantage. Conversely, if things take on the tone of a pitchers’ duel, Texas has the advantage. It’s a rather cold take, but I think the series gets decided with a decisive rubber game on Sunday.
How To Watch No. 4 Georgia (29-2, 8-1 SEC) At No. 3 Texas (23-4, 8-1 SEC)
All three games this weekend can be streamed via SEC Network+.
Can The Sooners Bounce Back?
It’s a lot easier said than done given its opponent, but Oklahoma will look to bounce back after last weekend’s hard-fought series loss against No. 8 Alabama. I discussed the Sooners at-length last week, and they’re fresh off an 8-6 midweek win over Texas Tech in which the score was closer than the game itself. Spark plug outfielder Jason Walk (.307/.445/.545) broke out of his recent slump, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two doubles, while Easton Carmichael’s (.310/.383/.558) two-run home run in the seventh inning was the difference-maker.
For Oklahoma to have a chance to take this weekend’s series, Thursday’s game feels like a must-win. That’s a rather drastic statement, but if the Sooners drop the series-opener with ace Kyson Witherspoon (5-1, 2.31 ERA) on the mound, it will make for a mighty difficult 1-0 deficit to overcome. In a similar breath, the team’s offense—unlike last weekend—will need to come through with timely hitting. The Sooners will face a plethora of big-time arms, but they’ll have an excellent home crowd behind them, and I have a feeling someone will come through with a game-changing swing at some point.
After losing the final two games of its series at No. 3 Texas, No. 5 LSU has won five-straight and is fresh off an impressive sweep of Mississippi State. The Tigers have a wealth of depth on both sides of the baseball. First baseman Jared Jones (.402/.507/.769) has some of the most impressive raw power of any hitter in the country, while star freshman Derek Curiel (.406/.553/.613) hasn’t missed a beat since stepping foot on campus. Standout transfer Daniel Dickinson (.367/.534/.684) has enjoyed a similarly productive season.
LSU will counter Witherspoon with a potential first-rounder of their own in southpaw Kade Anderson (5-0, 3.52 ERA), who boasts an intriguing blend of strikes and stuff. Behind Anderson, righthanders Anthony Eyanson (4-0, 3.89 ERA) and Chase Shores (4-1, 5.40 ERA) are in line to toe the rubber. Eyanson is a plus strike-thrower who really knows how to pitch—a quality that’s become increasingly rare in today’s game—while Shores has premium arm strength. In relief, head coach Jay Johnson figures to turn to another standout freshman in Casan Evans (1-0, 0.90 ERA) who has been dynamite in late-inning situations.
Oklahoma will hang tough with LSU, but in the end, I think the Tigers’ depth will end up being the difference-maker.
How To Watch No. 5 LSU (27-3, 7-2 SEC) At No. 9 Oklahoma (23-5, 5-4 SEC)
Tonight’s game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2, while both Friday and Saturday’s games can be streamed via SEC Network+.
The Iron Bowl Of Baseball
Alabama and Auburn is one of the best rivalries in college sports, and this weekend the two schools meet on the diamond. Both the Crimson Tide and the Tigers were featured last week, but they wound up meeting opposite fates. On the back of six hits apiece from Justin Lebron (.342/.449/.758) and Kade Snell (.421/.508/.636), Alabama notched a big-time top 10 series victory over Oklahoma, while Auburn was swept by Georgia.
Despite those losses, the Tigers got meaningful contributions from Ike Irish (.337/.450/.652) and Chase Fralick (.340/.383/.481)—who each blasted two home runs—as well as the pitching trio of Cam Tilly (2-1, 3.32 ERA), Cade Fisher (0-0, 4.15 ERA) and Carson Myers (0-0, 2.78 ERA). Alabama has the advantage on paper, but between it being a road series for the Crimson Tide and how big of a rivalry it is, this series is a toss-up. Like last weekend, the Tigers will need a number of arms to turn in quality appearances. Alabama’s offense is a deep unit that can beat teams in a number of different ways, and its hitters have also shown the ability to come through with big-time swings when the lights are at their brightest.
This series could go either way, but I think Alabama wins a decisive rubber game on Sunday to pick up its second top 15 series victory in as many weeks.
How To Watch No. 8 Alabama (26-4, 6-3 SEC) At No. 15 Auburn (20-9, 4-5 SEC)
Both tonight and Sunday’s games can be streamed via SEC Network+, while tomorrow night’s game will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network.
West Coast Showdown In Corvallis
For as impressive as the SEC slate is this weekend, the series I’m perhaps most intrigued by is No. 13 UC Irvine at No. 12 Oregon State. The Anteaters are off to an excellent 22-5 start, including a near-perfect 11-1 in Big West play and are on an 11-game win streak that’s included a sweep of UC Santa Barbara and a midweek win over Southern California. Head coach Ben Orloff has coached his fair share of high-caliber clubs since taking the reins of the program in 2019, though this year’s team might be his best yet.
UCI’s lineup is led by the transfer duo of Jacob McCombs (.407/.496/.761) and Colin Yeaman (.422/.514/.819), who have combined for 46 extra-base hits and 71 RBIs. While they’re the two leading hitters, a quartet of fellow Anteaters have at least 23 RBIs to their name. After missing the first couple weeks of the season due to an injury, first baseman Anthony Martinez (.316/.406/.532) has made up for lost time to the tune of 33 RBIs.
On the bump, reliever-turned-starter Riley Kelly (4-0, 2.57 ERA) has allowed just one earned run across his last 10.1 innings to go along with 31 strikeouts in 28 total innings. He’s always had a live arm with loud stuff, but strikes—or lack thereof—have been a bugaboo at times. However, when he’s competing in and around the zone, he has the ability to make mincemeat of opposing hitters. Sophomore Trevor Hansen (5-0, 4.42 ERA) has taken a step forward since last season, while Swiss Army knife lefthander Ricky Ojeda (5-0, 2.13 ERA) has been fantastic. To learn more about UC Irvine, I recommend checking out Jacob Rudner’s piece from a little less than two weeks ago.
After the end of the Pac-12 as we once knew it last summer, Oregon State opted to play this season as an independent. While the Beavers have compiled a 20-6 record, they lack an impressive series or standalone win on which to hang their hat. Though they have solid victories over Indiana and Virginia and a series triumph over Cal Poly that’s aging like fine wine, this weekend the Beavers have the chance to pick up their first ranked series win.
Oregon State is led by potential top five overall pick Aiva Arquette (.333/.445/.646), who’s on pace for a career year. The 6-foot-5 shortstop’s actions have only gotten better at the position, and he has plus power upside at the plate. Toolsy outfielder Gavin Turley (.347/.457/.621) broke out in a major way last week, going 8-for-15 with five home runs, a double and 11 RBIs. Both Trent Caraway (.302/.339/.466) and Easton Tait (.333/.522/.519) have been steady contributors, while Jacob Krieg (team-leading eight home runs) has thunderous raw power.
The Beavers boast a dynamic rotation that consists of fireballers Nelson Keljo (2-0, 1.73 ERA) and Dax Whitney (3-2, 3.38 ERA), as well as impressive sophomore Ethan Kleinschmit (4-1, 2.87 ERA). All three have thrown the ball exceptionally well, but head coach Mitch Kanham also has a handful or reliable bullpen arms at his disposal, especially sidewinder AJ Hutcheson (0-0, 2.51 ERA) and Eric Segura (4-1, 4.64 ERA).
Both UC Irvine and Oregon State are projected hosts in our most-recent Field of 64, and this weekend’s series is pivotal for each team. However, it feels particularly important for the Anteaters to capture a series victory should they want to host a regional for the first time in program history. In a similar breath, I think UC Irvine comes out of this weekend with a pair of wins en route to a statement series victory.
How To Watch No. 13 UC Irvine (22-5, 11-1 Big West) and No. 12 Oregon State (20-6)
All three games this weekend can be live streamed on KOIN via this link.
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