It is that time of the week once again, Congrats on making it through the week. It is now time to sit back turn on the streams and watch some baseball. Although this week may be dryer than others, there is still plenty of baseball to watch.
Note: We are using our own Top 25 for team rankings, not national ones. You can check out those rankings here
Leaderboard:
Anthony Franco: 33
Peter Flaherty: 32
Matt Powers: 29
Tom Mussa: 29
Week 4 Series:
No.13 Florida State - No.15 Duke
Florida State has one hell of a week coming for them, with what will be tight series against Duke and a midweek match up against Florida. A big win in either could separate Florida St from the pack. Florida State will have ace CJ Van Eyk throwing against the fellow ace draft prospect, Bryce Jarvis making for a very intriguing start to the series. In the lineup for Florida State features the explosive Elijah Campbell, with Tyler Martin and Robby Martin (not related).
Meanwhile, Duke will have the 1-2 power punch of Michael Rothenberg and Matt Mervis ready to go in Durham. Saturday pitcher Cooper Stinson, and OF Joey Loperfido are other names to watch on a promising Duke team coming off of a successful weekend in Minneapolis taking wins over Purdue and Minnesota.
Tom Mussa: Duke 2-1
Peter Flaherty: FSU 2-1
Matt Powers: FSU 3-0
Anthony Franco: Duke 2-1
No.16 Michigan - No.25 Pepperdine
2020 started on the highest of highs for Michigan but settled back to where they started in the majority of polls with a disappointing 7-5 record. With losses to Uconn (3) and Cal Poly, in addition to a struggling Stanford leads to a major question mark as for what is to come from the Wolverine. The talent is still plentiful in Ann Arbor but hasn’t performed outside of the first weekend in Scottsdale. Keep an eye on Friday night guy Jeff Criswell, and OF Jordan Nwogu to make this series a return to form. However, the Wolverines are traveling out to face a hungry team in Pepperdine.
The Waves were undefeated before losing to what appears to be one of the title favorites in UCLA, but a sweep against sleeper FIU vaulted the Waves into the Top 25 for many. After years of mediocrity, Pepperdine is off to its hottest start since 2001, where that team ended up winning the WCC. Interesting note, on that 2001 team was future MLB star Dan Haren and current Long Beach State head coach Eric Valenzuela. The Waves also have wins over San Diego, Minnesota, and Cal Poly. The Waves have a very potent offense through the talents of Billy Cook, Justin Lutes, Reese Alexiades, Aharon Modlin and Ryan Johnson.
Tom Mussa: Michigan 2-1
Peter Flaherty: Pepperdine 2-1
Matt Powers: Michigan 2-1
Anthony Franco: Michigan 2-1
San Diego State - No.12 Oklahoma
Wow, what a week it was for the Sooners. Coming off of a very impressive 2 win weekend at the Shriners Hospitals College Classics pulling away with wins against Arkansas and a no-hitter from Dane Acker against LSU on Sunday. It was a very successful weekend for power Friday night arm Cade Cavali who shut down the Razorbacks. Then add that to a massive 10-3 win over DBU on Tuesday Oklahoma is looking better and better. Yet they’ll need to pass this test before they can enjoy their further success. Sand Diego St may not be the biggest of names but the 9-4 Aztecs are a solid team that will give Oklahoma a run of their money. Adding another big win against Long Beach St this Tuesday. A group of quality hitting leads the Aztecs as they hope to pull off another upset.
Tom Mussa: Oklahoma 3-0
Peter Flaherty: SDSU 2-1
Matt Powers: Oklahoma 3-0
Anthony Franco: Oklahoma 2-1
New Mexico St - No.23 Texas A&M
This series is for the draft nuts. New Mexico St is bringing the “video game-esque” Nick Gonzales to Blue Bell Park, to face fellow projected top 10 picks, Asa Lacy, this weekend. It is absolutely insane how good Nick Gonzales has been, following up on an already insane sophomore year and summer in the cape. Gonzales is already leading college baseball in home runs with 12, as well as a 79 game on-base streak dating back to May 12th, 2018. Gonzales’ swing is almost ethereal but will need to work to get better in the field to further bump his resume. However, Gonzales may not get many more pitches thrown to him this year but if there’s a matchup that will test that streak and him, it’s Asa Lacy.
Lacy has been a front runner of this draft for the last year and a half now, and he’s been just as good as advertised. With 33 strikeouts this year in 17 IP, which is good enough to be leading the SEC so far in this young season. In addition to Lacy, another potential top pick Zach Deloach has been on fire so far this year hitting .487/.632/.872 with 4 HR in 39 AB this year. Another name to watch is Saturday pitcher Christian Roa who outside of a meeting against UCLA, has been impressive this year for the Aggies striking out 29 in 15.2 IP while only walking 5.
Tom Mussa: Texas A&M 2-1
Peter Flaherty: Texas A&M 3-0
Matt Powers: Texas A&M 2-1
Anthony Franco: Texas A&M 3-0
Southern California College Baseball Classic
Once again UCLA and USC will be hosting this tournament, this year’s tournament featuring defending champs Vanderbilt, TCU, UCLA, and USC. First things first, the defending champs are still just as stacked as ever, with future Top 5 pick Austin Martin. As well as great arms in Mason Hickman and Kumar Rocker.
As for UCLA, there has been a hotter team in the nation so far. Lead by the resurgence of Matt McLain and a young Bruins squad with a thriving Garrett Mitchell leading to what may be another favorite to win at Omaha.
TCU meanwhile as had a solid year overall going 10-2 so far with a series win over Minnesota and sweeps of Kentucky and California, but this is by far their biggest test yet. Friday night arm Johnny Ray has been good this year, pitching 18.2 IP striking out 20 and only walking 8. Including a complete game against Minnesota giving up just 2 hits, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Gray Rodgers, Gene Wood, and Hunter Woolfe lead the offense.
USC although definitely the sleeper this tournament could compete with the other three. A name to watch on the Trojans is Clay Owens .395/.457/.632 with 2 homers on the year already.
No.2 Vanderbilt - No.5 UCLA
Tom Mussa: UCLA
Peter Flaherty: Vandy
Matt Powers: Vandy
Anthony Franco: UCLA
No.22 TCU - No.5 UCLA
Tom Mussa: UCLA
Peter Flaherty: UCLA
Matt Powers: TCU
Anthony Franco: TCU
No.22 TCU - No.2 Vanderbilt
Tom Mussa: Vandy
Peter Flaherty: Vandy
Matt Powers: Vandy
Anthony Franco: Vandy
Other Series to Watch:
No.10 NC State - Virginia
A slight surprise early on is the fact that the NC State Wolfpack come into this weekend undefeated. While they haven't exactly played ACC competition yet, they do have a pair of solid wins against Big Ten schools, and the talent they have on the roster makes them a team who could potentially keep playing at a high level. UVA is their first real test of the season, and while the Hoos aren't ranked at this time, they are 10-3 with a pair of those losses coming to Oklahoma. I'm interested to see how the Wolfpack respond to this test as well as to how well some of the young UVA players respond to their first taste of ACC play. - Matt Powers
Baylor - Cal Poly
Baylor's coming off a great showing at the Shriners College Classic, where they went 3-0 by knocking off Missouri, LSU and Arkansas. The week before, though, they dropped two of three to Oral Roberts. So, who are the Bears really? The lineup's been top-heavy in the early going, but they've prevailed in some close games thanks in large part to elite bullpen performances. They'll be challenged by a Cal Poly team that's better than its 4-9 record. The Mustangs have played a brutal schedule and stayed competitive thanks to a strong rotation, fronted by potential All-American Taylor Dollard. Only three members of the Cal Poly lineup have a .700+ OPS so far, though; that'll have to change quickly if they're to give themselves a shot at an at-large bid. - Anthony Franco
Memphis - UNC-Wilmington
Memphis got off to a slow start losing 3 of their first 4, but have since gone 7-1 with their only loss coming at Swayze Field against a formidable Ole Miss squad. The Tigers are led on offense by their 1-2 punch of Ben Brooks and Hunter Goodman, who look to continue to swing a hot bat against a very solid UNCW pitching staff. Goodman is 2nd in the country in Runs Batted In with 30, second only to human video game Nick Gonzales. He likes to swing early and often, with a 10:4 K to BB ratio in his 51 at-bats.
The Seahawks come into this series, riding off of a fairly easy sweep of Kentucky, outscoring the Wildcats 18-4 in their 3 game series. They're led on the bump by Zarion Sharpe and Landon Roupp. Roupp has a 0.47 ERA in 19 IP (3 games started), with a 23:5 K to BB ratio. Sharpe is right there with him, compiling a 0.96 ERA in 18.2 IP (3 games started), with an 18:4 K to BB ratio. The Seahawks are led on offense by the dynamic outfielder, Noah Bridges who is a twitchy athlete with sneaky pop in his bat. The junior is slashing .319/.407/.426 in the Seahawks' first 12 games. Keep an eye as well on Senior slugger Cole Weiss who is 2nd on the team in OPS and provides power in the middle of their lineup.
This is a pretty under the radar series, but it will be a good test for the Seahawks pitching staff against a deep Memphis lineup, and an equally good test for that lineup against a very solid Seahawks pitching staff. Give me UNCW 2-1, with the Tigers winning on Sunday. - Peter Flaherty
Midweek Games To Hold You Over:
No.13 Florida St - No.1 Florida
Tom Mussa: Florida
Peter Flaherty: Florida
Matt Powers: Florida
Anthony Franco: Florida
No.14 Mississippi State - No.4 Texas Tech (2 game series)
Tom Mussa: Texas Tech 2-0
Peter Flaherty: 1-1 Split
Matt Powers: 1-1 Split
Anthony Franco: 1-1 Split
Georgia Tech - No.17 Auburn
Tom Mussa: Auburn
Peter Flaherty: GT
Matt Powers: GT
Anthony Franco: Auburn
No.7 Miami - No.19 UCF
Tom Mussa: UCF
Peter Flaherty: Miami
Matt Powers: Miami
Anthony Franco: Miami
No.24 DBU - Baylor
Tom Mussa: DBU
Peter Flaherty: Baylor
Matt Powers: DBU
Anthony Franco: Baylor