College baseball games of the week: Will No. 1 Vanderbilt be tested vs. Cal State Fullerton?

College baseball is finally back and despite half the country still being buried under snow, these great games are taking place in warmer climates. Here are the best games to watch this weekend:

With another exciting college baseball season just on the horizon, some of baseball’s most talented teams will be on full display. Among the opening weekend games are top 25 matchups and potential College World Series previews. Every team will be ready to show what they can do in 2019, including a statement in week one. Grab your peanuts and Cracker Jacks, this is going to be a great weekend for college baseball.

No. 25 Cal State Fullerton vs. No. 1 Vanderbilt

Feb. 16, 4:00 p.m. EST

2018 was definitely a misstep for Vanderbilt, who finished just 16-14 in conference play and watched the College World Series from home. However, the Commodores come out on top of the D1Baseball.com college baseball rankings for 2019. A dynamic pitching staff with 12 returning members and an offense that averaged 6.2 runs in 2018 makes for an intriguing team itching to get back on track and back to Omaha.

Cal State Fullerton looks to make an opening weekend case for their participation in the College World Series in 2019. Last season, the Titans pitching only allowed 3.45 runs per game (20th) but bring in seven freshmen to the mound. This series brings pits of the most consistently good programs against each other in the MLB4 Collegiate Baseball tournament and should produce a great game in what should be a pitching-heavy defensive battle.

UConn vs. No. 4 Louisville

Feb. 15-17

The Huskies ranked 20th in RPI in 2018 and return an experienced cast to the field. UConn hopes to improve their stale offense from last season, who managed just 5.5 runs per game (157th) and just 38 home runs (138th).

Improving their runs per game will be an uphill battle against the Cardinals, who allowed just 3.53 runs per game in 2018 (27th). In fact, Louisville allowed five or fewer runs in 43 contests last year (67.1%) and averaged 6.9 runs scored per game (28th). Louisville was among four programs to finish in the top 30 in ERA and runs scored in 2018, two of which met in the College World Series final (Oregon State, Arkansas, UCLA).

If UConn wants to make a run at Omaha, this opening weekend series in Lakeland, Florida is a must-win, and you can expect them to play like it.

Wright State at No. 10 Ole Miss

Feb. 15-17

Wright State is coming off an impressive 2018 campaign where they averaged a hearty 7.8 runs per game (8th) and appeared in the Stanford regional. Their season came to an end when the offense machine came to a screeching halt among the likes of No. 2 Stanford, Baylor, and CSU Fullerton. In Regional play, the Raiders averaged just four runs per game but took Stanford to 13 innings.

Ole Miss was a force last season, winning series against No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 5 Arkansas, No. 12 Georgia, LSU, and No. 16 Auburn. The Rebels even hosted their own Regional but were upended before making it to Omaha. Against some of the best pitching staffs in baseball, Ole Miss averaged almost seven runs per game (14th) and slugged 79 home runs (t-12th).

Wright State kept things close in their regional and expect to do the same this opening weekend in Oxford. Two high-powered offenses with a lot to prove will make for an entertaining series.

South Alabama at No. 24 Clemson

Feb. 15-17

South Alabama rode their offense to the Sun Belt semifinals in 2018, scoring 6.7 runs per game (38th). The Jaguars were also able to steal victories from No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 13 Southern Miss early in the year before having their year ended by a dominant Coastal Carolina team in the conference tournament.

The Tigers came up just short of the ACC title, losing to Florida State 5-4 and were a game away from Omaha before Vanderbilt sent Clemson home for the season. The defense was the highlight of 2018, only allowing 3.65 runs per game (35th) and posted a 0.975 fielding percentage (56th). The fun of this series will be seeing whether Clemson’s stellar pitching will crack under the Jaguars’ powerful hitting crew or if the Jaguars offense will be shut down. The only way to find out is to watch.

Kent State at Dallas Baptist

Feb. 15-17

The 37th ranked team of 2018, Dallas Baptist, opens their 2019 campaign by hosting Kent State. The Golden Flashes appeared in their sixth Regional since 2008 last season, eventually being toppled in a bracket that featured No. 24 Louisville and No. 9 Texas Tech. Kent State also finished with a 0.704 winning percentage in the MAC and took home their sixth MAC title in a decade.

The Patriots dominated the Missouri Valley Conference in 2018, garnering a 16-5 record. DBU was also notoriously difficult to beat at home, finishing 23-7 in 2018, and averaged 7.4 runs scored per game (10th). With both teams landing in the top 10 percent of scoring in college baseball, this should be a series with plenty of scoring and an exciting one to watch.