Weekend Preview: Week 14

Perfect Game Top 25 | PG/Rawlings Player/Pitcher of the Week
Field of 64: May 18 | College Spotlight | PG College Player Database

With this weekly preview we wrap up our regular season coverage as we've highlighted some of the more interesting points in college baseball over the last 14 weeks. Along with preview, make sure to check out Mike Rooney's most recent, and final, Field of 64 predictions which can be found here. 

Below we touch about the craziness that's about to ensue on the SEC as all series begin Thursday night and have more than just playoff implications on the line. While some teams are fighting for a playoff birth, others will be vying for the regular season championships in their respective divisions.

Another conference that's coming down to the wire is over in the American Athletic Conference as it's a three-way tie at the top between South Florida, Houston, and Central Florida while Connecticut trails by just a game. To make things more interesting, South Florida hosts Central Florida in a series that could ultimately dictate the outcome of the conference.

Perfect Game as always will be providing scouting insights from a handful of locations, most notably from Atlanta, Ga., as Georgia Tech hosts Virginia. Stay tuned this weekend for updates.


Top 25 in Action

Wrong, though to be fair Rooker and Hiura rank Nos. 4 and 6, respectively in batting average, while Rooker is also tied fourth in the country in home runs. That said, the leaders of both categories are on the SAME team. They aren’t members of a Power-Five club but the seasons they’ve put together more than deserve attention. Let’s take a quick look at what Eli Boggess and Nico Hulsizer have done for the Eagles of Morehead State this spring.

Here’s a stat that will put Boggess’s season into perspective quickly: he opened the season going 1-for-18 with a four-game and three-game hitless streak mixed in; since then there hasn’t been a streak longer than two games. You could say the first year Eagle and junior infielder found his stroke as he’s now leading the nation with a .427 batting average heading into their weekend series, currently 16 points higher than second place. And it’s not a “barely qualifies” situation as he's racked up 178 at-bats on the year. The hand-eye coordination is evident by the average and the fact he’s struck-out only 11 times this spring; he's had 22 multi-hit games including a 6-for-6 performance, a five-hit game, and five four-hit games.

His teammate, sophomore outfielder Nico Hulsizer, may not have as much of a gap with his home run total as his 24 bombs are just one ahead of Eastern Kentucky’s Ben Fisher, but it's nevertheless an incredible mark. Super athletic, Hulsizer led the conference in batting average last spring but “only” connected for five home runs, a far cry from his output this spring. With 24 homers this spring in 52 games, Hulsizer also leads the country in home runs-per-game with a .46 clip and is second to only Rooker in slugging percentage.

On top of those two potent bats the Eagles also have a lefthanded ace in Aaron Leasher who’s expected to go off the boards in the top-ten rounds of the MLB Draft this June. 


May Madness

Schedule makers couldn’t have made the final weekend of SEC play any more fun, and crucial, as both divisions will be decided as well as a couple of national seeds.

Starting out in the SEC East the regular season chase has come down to two teams: The No. 5 Florida Gators and the No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats. It’s only fitting that these two squads hook up and square off in Gainesville with a championship on the line. Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan and his Gators are in sole possession of first place with a 19-8 record and are coming off a clean sweep of Alabama last weekend. Right on their tails, one game behind, are the Wildcats, led by first year Head Coach Nick Mingione, with an 18-9 record.  They themselves swept their last opponent, Tennessee, as well. Both teams have been covered and are well known programs but here’s something that could have an impact on the series. The Gators are 24-7 at home this spring, where the series will be played, while the ‘Cats are just 10-10 on the road as opposed to 26-5 when in Lexington. Coincidentally, the Wildcats have taken two of three from the Gators each of the last two seasons.

Jump to the West and you have a Huge Series in StarkVegas with the No. 15 ranked Bulldogs playing host to the No. 8 ranked Tigers of LSU. Not only could this series single handedly determine the division if one team were to sweep, but it’s also Head Coach Andy Cannizaro’s first time squaring off head-to-head with Paul Mainieri since leaving LSU’s recruiting coordinator role this past fall.

The Tigers are currently in first place with an 18-9 record, full game ahead of the Bulldogs who check in at 17-10, .015 points above Arkansas in conference win percentage. However, if the series goes 2-1 in State's way and the No. 15 Razorbacks, who travel to No. 24 Texas A&M, sweep, they could claim the divisional title. Hold on to your hats as it’s going to be a crazy weekend in the SEC.  And that doesn't even mention Ole Miss traveling to Auburn or South Carolina hosting Georgia, respectively, in hopes of keeping their playoff chances alive.