College baseball games of the week: Is Arizona State a real contender?

As March comes to a close, the college baseball landscape is coming to fruition and teams are being marked or dismissed as serious contenders. Among them is Arizona State, who went 21 games without a loss. Do they have a legit shot in Omaha?

The answer might not be answered this weekend, but the Sun Devils look to continue their impressive run. Other teams who have proven to be legitimate contenders are also on full display this weekend, including SEC giants Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas. Buckle up for another exciting weekend of college baseball with unending action.

No. 17 LSU at No. 2 Mississippi State

March 28-30 (Thur – Sat)

LSU is on a brutal stretch of schedule, but so is the nature of SEC baseball. They dropped two of three in a competitive series in Athens against No. 4 Georgia this past weekend, but look to redeem themselves in Starkville. The Tigers are averaging 8.2 runs per game (23rd) and are faring pretty well with one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. LSU is already 1-5 against ranked teams, a record that will have to be turned around 180 degrees if they expect to make a run in Omaha this year.

Mississippi State, on the other hand, is playing flawless baseball. They are 6-2 against ranked opponents, including two crucial wins on the road against No. 23 Florida. The Bulldogs averaged 13 runs per game against Auburn, the top team in ERA in the country (2.11), including a 20-15 barn burner on Sunday. Mississippi State finds ways to win under any circumstances and is deserving of the No. 2 spot in the country.

LSU has proven to be resilient this season, winning nine of their next 11 games after being swept at Texas. Now would be a great stretch for the Tigers to bounce back and re-establish themselves as one of the top teams in the SEC. Mississippi State looks to continue their incredible season and high level of play right into April. Both teams know that a misstep in this series could prove to be detrimental for the remainder of the year.

No. 24 Ole Miss at No. 8 Arkansas

March 29-31

Ole Miss isn’t off to quite the same start as they had in 2018, and are struggling to remain ranked. The Rebels have a tough road to redemption after losing two of three at Missouri with another series away at the No. 8 Razorbacks. Ole Miss certainly doesn’t lose games due to their bats, they rank 24th in runs per game (8.1), but the pitching needs some attention. Ole Miss ranks 83rd in ERA (3.90) and will need to clean that up against Arkansas’ 0.295 team batting average (30th).

Besides a 10-0 misstep against Alabama, the CWS runners-up are playing outstanding baseball; they even took a game at Texas, which has proved to be one of the most unwinnable facilities in the country. The Razorbacks have been incredibly balanced this season, ranking in the top 25 in both scoring (8.1 runs per game, t-25th) and ERA (2.97, 20th). Arkansas will look to build upon their 15-1 home record against a strong Ole Miss team.

When it mattered most last year, the Rebels stepped forward. They will need some more of that magic for this series before hosting No. 23 Florida the following weekend. Arkansas, though, is playing with a season-long vengeance, hoping to get back to the finals in Omaha this season and redeem their infamous folly last season.

Oklahoma State at No. 19 TCU

March 29-31

Oklahoma State began conference play with a 3-0 sweep of Kansas State, but face a much tougher test with TCU this weekend. Oklahoma State has five quality wins so far (vs. UTRGV, Wichita State, and Michigan) and are 1-1 against ranked opponents so far. The Big 12 hasn’t shaped out to be as deep as previously thought, leaving the road still open for the Cowboys to bounce back and win the conference. However, this series against TCU is a must-win if they hope to stay in the hunt.

TCU managed to pull off a remarkable series win when they hosted No. 13 Texas this past weekend. Earlier this season, the Horned Frogs stole a neutral site win away from No. 6 Vanderbilt and their top 25 record sits at 3-2. Offensive efficiency is no issue for TCU this season – they are batting 0.311 (9th) and have a 0.486 slugging percentage (9th). However, the Horned Frogs rank just 45th in scoring, meaning that TCU leaves many of their runners on base stranded. Their bats can be dangerous, though, which keeps them in contention for the CWS.

Oklahoma State has been on the cusp of being ranked all year and a win in Fort Worth might be enough to get them back in. The pitching corps, which ranks 37th in ERA (3.36) needs to be up to the task against TCU’s wildly efficient offense. The Horned Frogs will need to capitalize with runners on base or this might be a long weekend at home.

Arizona at No. 9 Arizona State

March 29-31

Besides a one-run loss to Oregon on Saturday, Arizona State has proven to be a nearly unbeatable team. not without other teams trying, however; the Sun Devils have won five games decided by two or fewer runs. Second in scoring and slugging percentage, fourth in home runs, 11th in team ERA, and 42nd in WHIP, what can this team not do? The Sun Devils are still unbeaten at home (19-0!) and will be one of the most fun and complete teams to watch this season.

Arizona, despite an average record, is equally as fun to watch, as they rank third in the nation in scoring (10.1 runs per game) and sixth in slugging percentage (0.501). The in-state rival Wildcats might not pull out a win this series, but that won’t keep them from being competitive and exciting to watch – they might even steal a game in Tempe.

Both of these teams hit the ball exceptionally well and the scoreboard won’t be dry as the Arizona desert. Tune in here to watch State continue their dominance this season, but also see some big hits from Arizona. Late starts shouldn’t keep you from watching this series all weekend long.

Tennessee at No. 6 Vanderbilt

March 29-31

At one point this season, Tennessee was 4-0 and had yet to give up a single run. That 4-0 turned into 17-1 and the Volunteers looked like a dark horse team that might make a run late in the season. After being handled by No. 15 Auburn, though, Tennessee fell out of the D1baseball rankings at 18-4. They recovered well at home against South Carolina with similar dominant pitching we have seen all year.

Vanderbilt has been a household name in college baseball for years, and that is no exception this season. The Commodores are 6-3 against ranked teams, including an impressive sweep of No. 23 Florida this past weekend. The offense seems to be enough to carry Vanderbilt deep this season, as they fail to rank in the top 50 in any defensive or pitching category so far. Vanderbilt ranks 8th in scoring (8.9 runs per game) and seems to be equipped to beat teams with strong pitching.

Tennessee’s pitching corps have proven time and time again to be dangerous; their 2.24 ERA is good enough for third in the country. That rotation will have to bring their best against Vanderbilt, who look to blacken an eye on the Volunteer’s stat sheet. A classic offense versus defense series in the SEC will prove to be one you won’t want to miss.