No. 25 NC State at No. 6 Florida State
The Wolfpack (25-17) have lost 5-straight mid-week games but have won 5 of their last 6 weekend series including Duke, Clemson and UNC. Their weekend rotation has been hit or miss due to various health issues but the emergence of Shane Van Dam and Derrick Smith in the bullpen has been huge. The top half of the order can slug but they need some more consistency on the back end. The Seminoles (34-9) are in 2nd place in the ACC Atlantic and still feature one of the best offenses in the nation with Cam Smitha and James Tibbs III batting over .390 each. The bullpen has been a bit dicey at times but when they get length out of the rotation they are usually in good shape to win a series. The series will come down to the NC State’s left-handed lineup against Florida State’s lefty relievers and I think the Pack finds a way.
Cozy’s Pick: NC State
The Wolfpack are coming off a three game non-con home sweep while the Seminoles gutted out a tough series win against Duke. Florida State looks primed to host a Regional and every week they get closer to June, the bullpen gets healthier. I think FSU’s offense is one of the best in the country and will be able to defeat NC State at home.
Vin's Pick: Florida State
No. 16 Vanderbilt at No. 19 Georgia
The Commodores (32-13) are 5-games out of 1st in the SEC East and are coming off a disappointing home series loss to Mississippi State. This club doesn’t have much thump in the lineup but have a stellar bullpen duo in Ryan Ginther and Brennan Seiber who have 8 combined saves. The Bulldogs (32-12) sit just behind this weekend’s foe in the SEC East and have the most dangerous offense in the nation with Charlie Condon and his 30 HRs of course. The question is whether they can get the ball to Brian Zeldin with the lead at the end. Vanderbilt has not played well on the road this year, while Georgia is an impressive (25-3) in Athens. It feels like the Bulldogs take another step forward this weekend.
Cozy’s Pick: Georgia
These are about two polar opposite of teams as you will find in the SEC: Georgia ranks near the top of the conference in offense and the bottom in pitching while Vanderbilt is the opposite. So what happens when Vandy’s power-stricken offense faces Georgia’s homer happy pitching staff? An intriguing storyline for sure but I like Georgia’s pitching to get enough outs at home.
Vin's Pick: Georgia
UC San Diego at No. 17 UC Santa Barbara
The Tritons (26-15) had put together a wonderful April until they ran into Hawaii who swept them last weekend. On top of that, they play two mid-week games at Arizona State before heading to Santa Barbara this weekend. This is turning out to be a brutal stretch for this time of year for a club that only plays .500 ball on the road. The good news is, if they can give the ball to Izaak Martinez with a lead at the end, it’s a done deal. The Gauchos (28-12) have won 8 out of their last 10 and are playing like the best team on the West Coast right now. Their pitching staff has only allowed 5-runs in the last 6-conference games and they are performing up to their lofty pre-season expectations. UC Santa Barbara is a runaway train on a downhill track right now and could very well sweep again this weekend.
Cozy’s Pick: UC Santa Barbara
The Gauchos are part of a one-two punch atop the Big West right now as both clubs look primed for postseason spots with hosting still very much in the air. Santa Barbara can’t afford to take the foot off the gas right now with a top 16 seed in sight and welcoming a UC San Diego team that lost a road series at Hawaii should allow the Gauchos to take care of business.
Vin's Pick: UC Santa Barbara
No. 20 Louisiana at Troy
Louisiana (33-13) still has a comfortable 3-game lead atop the Sun Belt standings and could create even more distance this weekend. Kyle DeBarge with the stick and LP Langevin on the mound are putting together All-American type seasons for a team that can beat you most any way necessary. Troy (32-14) is coming off their biggest series sweep, possibly in program history, when they took care of Coastal Carolina on the road last weekend. This team has won 6-games in a row, Brooks Bryan is a monster run producer and this weekend could give them a share of the conference lead. Troy is playing excellent ball right now and Louisiana doesn’t thrive on the road, so I think the home team takes this series.
Cozy’s Pick: Troy
The Cajuns were one of the hottest teams in the country a couple of weeks ago and lost two of three in a huge series against Coastal. The Trojans, on the other hand, are coming off delivering Coastal a deathblow in terms of hosting chances as they swept the Chants. This is going to be a wildly entertaining series but I like the way the Trojans are swinging it right now and give them the slight edge over an excellent, but young, Louisiana pitching staff.
Vin's Pick: Troy
Kansas at Kansas State
The Jayhawks (25-15) haven’t had a better stretch than they are currently in as they have won 6 in a row and 9 of their last 10 games. Dominic Voegele and Reese Dutton have been tremendous, anchoring the rotation by going a combined (12-4) with an ERA under 3.00 in 10-starts apiece. The Wildcats (26-17) have struggled mightily with finding consistency in any aspect of their game but are a dangerous club with first-round talent on both sides of the ball. Tyson Neighbors and Jackson Wentworth do the heavy lifting for the bullpen and have combined for 10 saves on the year. This is another one of those crazy intrastate rivalries but it feels like Kansas is ready for the task.
Cozy’s Pick: Kansas
Both teams in this in-state rivalry are very much in the at-large picture, with the Jayhawks placing higher in the Big 12 but the Wildcats having a better RPI. There are obviously big names here but watch for how Kansas State deploys Jackson Wentworth this weekend. The big RHP has become one of the best relievers in the sport and gives them an x-factor they’ll need.
Vin's Pick: Kansas State
Jacksonville at Florida Gulf Coast
The Dolphins (22-20) aren’t a team that will blow you away with their numbers but seemed to have the knack for winning games. They don’t have a single hitter with double-digit home runs and their best starting pitcher is Richard Long with a 4.58 ERA. That being said, they sit atop the ASUN standings heading into this weekend. The Eagles (20-22) have been through their roughest patch of games since starting the season (0-4) having dropped 6 of their last 10 games. Ian Farrow leads the lineup in basically every offensive category but they just haven’t produced runs like in years past. Jacksonville has won 5-games in a row and seem to have real momentum right now, which should carry them to a series win on the road.
Cozy’s Pick: Jacksonville
The Atlantic Sun is a super fun conference this year and this is another matchup near the top of the conference featuring two impressive offenses. I give the slight edge to FGCU here as they have the best offensive player in the matchup in Ian Farrow. The Miami transfer is hitting .400 this year and is a catalyst to what should be a high scoring series.
Vin's Pick: FGCU
Sacred Heart at Wagner
The Pioneers (24-19) are in a 3-way tie at the top of the NEC Conference, one of those being their opponent this coming weekend. This club is road tested and builds their success behind a high pressure, aggressive offense that has already swiped 84 bases on the year. David Aufiero and Owen MacDonnell makeup a tough, two-headed monster at the back end of the bullpen. The Seahawks (21-22) play well on their home turf and have to be creative on the offensive side to generate runs. Alec Burnett and Ryan Bilka have made a combined 30 appearances, mostly in relief and do a lockdown job when called upon. These teams couldn’t be any more evenly matched, it will be a battle of the bullpens but I think Sacred Heart’s ability to take the extra base gives them the edge this weekend.
Cozy’s Pick: Sacred Heart
Both teams enter this matchup at 18-6 in conference and stand tied atop the Northeast Conference (along with LIU). Pitching will be very important this series and Wagner features two arms already at the 60 inning threshold with a sub-4.00 ERA and Ryan Bilka, who has the lowest ERA of either squad at 2.98 on the season.
Vin's Pick: Wagner