What To Watch For This Weekend In College Baseball (2/24)

Image credit: Maryland RHP Nick Dean (Photo courtesy of Maryland)

After an exciting week one slate, the first full week of college baseball got off to a wild start with a number of top-10 teams dropping midweek matchups. No. 3 Stanford lost to California, No. 5 Vanderbilt lost to Central Arkansas, No. 7 Texas A&M lost to Lamar and No. 24 East Carolina lost to Campbell. This weekend should be filled with exciting play, as there are several marquee series on the docket.

No. 13 UCLA (4-0) at No. 5 Vanderbilt (3-2)

UCLA will take on Vanderbilt in what will be a clash between two household names in college baseball. UCLA is off to a 4-0 start after sweeping Nebraska-Omaha last weekend and taking a midweek game from Pepperdine, while Vanderbilt is off to a 3-2 start after dropping its season opener to No. 10 TCU and a midweek game against Central Arkansas. Duce Gourson (.533) and Kyle Karros (.471) lead the way for the Bruins on offense, while Jonathan Vastine (.444) and R.J. Austin (.333) are the headliners for the Commodores. This series is sure to provide some of the best pitching of any series this weekend, as the UCLA rotation of Jake Brooks, Alonzo Tredwell and Kelly Austin has allowed just one earned run across 16 innings pitched. Carter Holton, Hunter Owen and Devin Futrell make up a formidable pitching rotation as well, with Holton possessing some of the best stuff of any arm in the country. 

No. 15 Maryland (2-2) at No. 9 Ole Miss (4-0)

In what will be the first real test for the defending national champions, Mississippi takes on Maryland in Oxford. Ole Miss has cruised through its first four games, which featured a three-game series against Delaware and a midweek matchup against Arkansas State. On the other side, Maryland is just 2-2 and coming off a midweek loss to West Virginia after winning its opening series against South Florida. Maryland will be led by likely first-round draft pick Matt Shaw (.500) and sophomore first baseman Ian Petrutz (.389), while the Rebels will turn to potential top-10 pick Jacob Gonzalez (.313), Kemp Alderman (.467) and Peyton Chatagnier (.583) for their offensive production. Losing Hunter Elliott for the weekend due to forearm soreness is a tough blow, and between Nick Dean and Jason Savacool, the Terrapins have the pitching to keep the high-powered Rebels offense at bay.

No. 16 North Carolina (4-1) at No. 24 East Carolina (3-1)

East Carolina and UNC will provide college baseball fans with an intriguing early-season rivalry matchup, with two games being played at “The Jungle” in Greenville and Sunday’s finale being played at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels have started to regain their footing after a slow opening weekend against Seton Hall, winning their two midweek games by a combined score of 26-2. ECU dropped its first game of the 2023 season on Tuesday, losing 6-5 in 10 innings against Campbell. Potential 2024 No. 1 overall pick Vance Honeycutt (.368), Mac Horvath (.313, 3 home runs) and Tomas Frick (.471) have provided most of the firepower for Coach Scott Forbes’ club, while Justin Wilcoxen (.526) and Luke Nowak (.533) are off to blazing starts for the Pirates. On the mound, North Carolina junior Max Carlson will look to bounce back after sputtering during opening weekend and set the tone for the weekend. 

Florida State (4-0) at No. 10 TCU (3-1)

The Horned Frogs are coming off one of the loudest performances from opening weekend, as they beat Vanderbilt, 11-4, and Arkansas, 18-6, before dropping their final game in extra innings to Missouri. Potential first-round pick Brayden Taylor (.529) is off to a fast start, while Elijah Nuñez (.500) and Austin Davis (.412) have started off hot as well. The TCU pitching staff will have its hands full against a Seminoles lineup that is loaded with talent. The Seminoles are hitting .371 as a team in the early going, with Jordan Carrion (.625), Colton Vincent (.500 with two doubles and one home run), Jaime Ferrer (.364), Cam Smith (.333) and a handful of others showing their offensive prowess in the early going. The Seminoles also have a fantastic weekend rotation, with two potential day one draft picks in Carson Montgomery and Jackson Baumeister giving Link Jarrett one of the best 1-2 rotation punches in the country. 

Brody Brecht vs. No. 1 Louisiana State’s Lineup

The Saturday matchup between Iowa righthander Brody Brecht and No. 1 LSU should be one of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend. Brecht was lights-out last weekend, throwing five perfect innings against Quinnipiac and striking out 10 hitters in the process. His fastball was up to 100, his curveball was sharp and got plenty of swing and miss, and most importantly, his command was impressive. Saturday’s showdown against LSU will be the biggest test of Brecht’s young career, as he’ll face an LSU lineup that includes potential 2023 No. 1 overall pick Dylan Crews, Tre’ Morgan, Jared Jones and Brady Neal.