How To Watch NCAA Baseball Top 25 Teams, Best Matchups & More This Weekend: Week 12

Image credit: Peyton Stovall (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)

This weekend’s slate is a little quieter than usual due to a number of schools having final exams, though there is still plenty of action to follow across the country. On top of the usual marquee series in the ACC and SEC, there are key series just about everywhere you look. A number of series this weekend will have lasting implications for various teams’ resumes. Whether it be a team vying for a top-eight national seed or even just a seat at the table, this weekend—and beyond—can make or break a team’s resume.

Additionally, here are some helpful links to aid your college baseball consumption this weekend…

No. 2 Arkansas (39-7, 16-5 SEC) at No. 9 Kentucky (33-9, 16-5 SEC)

In what is a clash between the two top teams in the SEC Standings, Arkansas this weekend heads east to take on Kentucky. Outside of a mid-April hiccup at Alabama, the Razorbacks have not lost a weekend series all season and are fresh off a hard-fought series victory over Florida. This has been a cold take since early March, but Arkansas’ pitching staff is the best in college baseball to the tune of a nation-leading 3.12 team ERA. In addition to potential top-five overall pick Hagen Smith (8-0, 1.35 ERA), the Razorbacks boast a bevy of high-powered arms both in their rotation and in their bullpen.

Its pitching is without a doubt its strong suit, but Arkansas’ offense has rounded into form over the past handful of weeks, led by red-hot Peyton Stovall (.350/.419/.562). The offense has shown twice in the last two series that it can pick up the pitching staff when it has an off day, which was one of the unit’s biggest question marks. Arkansas’ tournament resume is rock solid, and barring an epic collapse, it is a lock for a top-eight national seed.

Kentucky heads into this weekend on a slightly different trajectory than Arkansas. After a roaring 15-1 start in the SEC, the Wildcats have lost their last two series to Tennessee and South Carolina, respectively. They were overmatched in neither and very well could have won both. However, a series loss is still a series loss and Kentucky would like to get back on track as it finishes the regular season with a trio of tough series.

Its offense—which is led by outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt (.368/.506/.647)—has swung the bat exceptionally well in the last three weeks, but the pitching staff has been in a little bit of a rut. For the Wildcats to notch a marquee series win, it feels imperative for at least two of its rotation arms to turn in quality starts. Arkansas’ pitching staff will be the best Kentucky has seen to this point, though it has shown this season—particularly against Tennessee—that it can do damage against high-quality pitching staffs.

Kentucky is virtually a lock to host at this point, though a top-eight national seed is still well within reach. With that being said, it would be ideal for the Wildcats to right the ship sooner rather than later and build some momentum as they head into the SEC Tournament. This series is trickier than people think for Arkansas, and I envision it coming down to a decisive third game on Sunday. It is hard to not give Arkansas the advantage due to its pitching staff, though Kentucky this weekend is sure to give it all it can handle.

How To Stream

The series gets underway tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. ET and all three games can be streamed on SEC Network+.

No. 13 N.C. State (25-17, 12-9 ACC) at No. 5 Florida State (34-9, 13-8 ACC)

The top ACC series in what is otherwise a light slate around the conference pits No. 13 N.C. State against No. 5 Florida State in an ACC Atlantic showdown. The Wolfpack have quietly been one of the hottest teams in the conference over the course of the last few weeks and notched key ranked series wins over Clemson and North Carolina before a sound sweep of Ball State. They have played themselves into the hosting conversation, and this series feels like a must-win as it pertains to their aspirations to host.

N.C. State was dealt a tough blow earlier this week when it learned that outfielder Josh Hogue (.314/.398/.450) would miss the rest of the season after a gnarly collision last weekend. However, the Pack still boasts a productive offense that is led by Alec Makarewicz (.345/.410/.730), Garrett Pennington (.339/.424/.626) and potential day one draft pick Jacob Cozart (.309/.437/.625).

While the offense is again the strength of this year’s club, N.C. State’s pitching is better than in years past. It has a handful of key bullpen pieces as well as a proven Friday night starter in veteran Sam Highfill (4-1, 4.91 ERA). The Wolfpack will need all hands on deck this weekend in Tallahassee as they attempt to slow down a relentless Florida State offense that has wreaked havoc on opposing pitching staffs all season.

Following a tough series loss two weeks ago to Wake Forest, Florida State bounced back last weekend with its biggest series win to date and took two of three from Duke. As mentioned, its lineup is flat-out relentless. There is no easy at-bat and the Seminoles boast one of the most dangerous dynamic offensive duos in Cam Smith (.399/.478/.640) and James Tibbs III (.393/.493/.828).

On the mound, sophomore lefthander Jamie Arnold (8-1, 1.79 ERA) has been terrific all season and has thrust himself into the ACC pitcher of the year conversation. The Seminoles this weekend will again be without two key pieces in Cam Leiter (5-1, 4.63 ERA) and Conner Whittaker (4-0, 5.31 ERA), but head coach Link Jarrett has said both will be back this season.

Should the Seminoles take the series this weekend, it would go a long way toward cementing themselves as a top-eight national seed in the tournament. For as well as N.C. State has been playing, Florida State this season has yet to lose a series at home—a trend I don’t see changing this weekend.

How To Stream

The series begins tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. ET, and while both Friday and Sunday’s games can be streamed on ACC Network Extra, Saturday’s game will be broadcast nationally on ACC Network.

No. 16 Oklahoma State (31-14, 14-7 Big 12) at Texas (28-18, 13-8 Big 12)

The Big 12 this year has been the most chaotic, tough-to-figure-out conference in all of college baseball. Everyone has beaten up on each other all season, causing a five-team logjam at the top of the standings. Two of those teams—Oklahoma State and Texas—square off this weekend in an important series.

The Longhorns come into this weekend on the heels of arguably their most important series win of the season, as they took two games from No. 19 Oklahoma. While they are still a rather “bubbly” team, Texas desperately needed a series win last weekend to bolster its tournament resume. It on Tuesday notched a solid midweek win over Sam Houston, and while it is not yet a lock for the tournament, Texas has a lot more breathing room than it did this time last week.

Texas’ offense is a power-oriented group that has had no issue slugging its way to wins. Almost everyone in the lineup is a threat to leave the yard at any time, led by potential top two–round draft pick Jared Thomas (.370/.459/.693). The Longhorns’ pitching staff still remains the team’s biggest question mark, and they desperately need Lebarron Johnson Jr. (2-3, 5.61 ERA) to regain his 2023 form if the team wants to reach its full potential.

After a slow start to the season, Oklahoma State has been playing the best baseball of anyone in the conference across the last month and a half. It is fresh off an emphatic sweep of BYU, but has also notched key series wins over Oklahoma, West Virginia and TCU. In what is a change from years past, the Cowboys this season boast a legitimate one-two punch in their rotation with Sam Garcia (4-3, 3.70 ERA) and Brian Holiday (4-3, 3.79 ERA). On top of its vaunted rotation duo, Oklahoma State has a plethora of reliable bullpen arms who have locked down a number of close games.

Its offense got off to a somewhat slow start, but it has shifted into another gear in the last two weeks. Towering outfielder Nolan Schubart (.348/.500/.777)—who on Tuesday night hit a single-game school record four home runs—has been unconscious, while likely first-round pick Carson Benge (.324/.442/.654) and Zach Ehrhard (.330/.440/.585) have both put together productive seasons of their own.

The Cowboys are squarely in the mix to host, and if the season ended today, they probably would. A series win would certainly go a long way in solidifying their hosting resume, but a series loss—although not ideal—would not completely dash their hosting hopes. Texas right now is on the right side of the bubble, and if it were to take the series this weekend, it is hard to envision a scenario in which it doesn’t earn an at-large bid. However, if Oklahoma State comes out on top, the Longhorns will be back in the same spot they were last week.

How To Stream

The series begins tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. ET and all games can be streamed on the Longhorn Network.

Indiana (25-18-1, 10-5 Big Ten) at Purdue (30-15, 11-4 Big Ten)

Like the Big 12, the Big Ten this year has also seen its fair share of chaos. Five teams right now are within a game of each other atop the conference standings, including in-state rivals Indiana and Purdue. A lot of people wrote the Hoosiers off after a slow start to the season, but they have not lost a series since late March and are again in the mix to make a run at the tournament.

Purdue has underratedly been one of the best stories in all of college baseball this season. The Boilermakers yesterday clinched just their second 30-win season since 2012 and—although it would take a conference tournament championship to do so—are in a prime position to make the NCAA Tournament for just the fourth time in program history. Their offense is led by second-year freshman Luke Gaffney, who is hitting an impressive .412/.497/.727 with 13 doubles, 11 home runs and 60 RBIs. Camden Gasser (.362/.538/.423) and Jo Stevens (.331/.465/.574) have also enjoyed productive seasons, while the pitching staff as a whole has thrown the ball well.

It has been tough sledding for Indiana on the mound, and it enters this weekend without prized righthander Connor Foley (4-1, 4.74 ERA). Its offense—led by outfielders Nick Mitchell (.371/.484/.594) and Devin Taylor (.349/.448/.600)—is one of the best in the conference, and it has hit well enough to mask some of its pitching deficiencies. While they have been playing well lately, the Hoosiers will need to win the conference tournament in order to make the field of 64.

With this weekend being a rivalry series between two of the top teams in the Big Ten, the environment is sure to be raucous in West Lafayette. Purdue’s ballpark is hitter-friendly, which plays especially in Indiana’s favor, as it has the ability to slug its way to a pair of wins. With that being said, I think Purdue continues its special season with a big-time series victory.