The NCAA Super Regionals start today! 16 teams will look to punch their tickets to the College World Series in Omaha. Your Super Regional teams are as follows:
- Tennessee
- Stanford
- Oregon State
- Virginia Tech
- Texas A&M
- East Carolina
- Texas
- North Carolina
- Southern Miss
- Louisville
- Auburn
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Notre Dame
- UCONN
- Ole Miss
Should be a fun weekend! RayMac and I take a dive into some of our predictions below…
Who’s your biggest surprise to make it to the Super Regional?
RayMac: Ole Miss – This is not a team that BANGS like other Ole Miss teams of the past. The pitching is good but doesn’t really wow you. But they get it done, and rolled through the Coral Gables Regional 3-0, beating our boys at Arizona handily in the finale. Tim Elko is the best player in college baseball nobody talks about, and at 29 years old, he better be (I’m kidding, he’s only 23 but it feels like he’s been there forever). So surprised, yes, but I can’t wait for that interstate Super in Hattiesburg.
Jared: UCONN was the biggest surprise for me. It was a tough regional that included a high powered Maryland offense and a Wake Forest team that had two potential first round picks for the 2023 MLB Draft in their rotation. After losing Reggie Crawford to begin the year, their main two starters Austin Peterson and Pat Gallagher have really stepped up to carry the pitching staff. Maryland was able to take them to a game 7, but the Huskies were able to out slug them with their offense that includes a few grad students. They have a tough matchup in Stanford, but if Peterson and Gallagher bring their A game once again, UCONN could be punching their ticket to Omaha.
Easiest matchup for a Super Regional host?
RayMac: I don’t know if it’s going to be easy but it’s Tennessee vs. the world right now and Notre Dame is next in line. The other one to look out for is Auburn heading into Corvallis to face Oregon State. I didn’t feel the Beavers were a CWS team going into the year, but they have changed my mind. Playing at that stadium is tough, especially if they get the typical gloomy weather, they love up there. The fans are right on top of you, and tack on a six-hour flight across the country and Auburn is going to have its hands full.
Jared: I wouldn’t say it is necessarily an easy regional, but I like Virginia Tech a lot and just have a feeling they will breeze through their super regional against Oklahoma. They have about five guys who are top 500 prospects for the 2022 MLB Draft, including Gavin Cross who is a potential top 10 pick. The lineup is en fuego and they have the pitching staff that could help them easily make their way to Omaha.
Super Regional matchup you are looking forward to most?
RayMac: UCONN and Stanford. This Stanford team smashes the baseball. A beautiful finish to their regional with two homers and a pinch-hit knock walked off an incredibly good Texas State squad. On the other side, UCONN is likely the most road-tested team in the country. They thrive on going into someone else’s park and stealing their lunch money. One more big weekend and the Huskies could be taking a one-way flight to Omaha.
Jared: East Carolina and Texas. These two teams ranked in the top 10 this year and it will be fun to watch them go at it. Greensville was absolutely electric during the regional and I imagine it will be the same for the super. The Longhorns lineup is stock full of talent that will go in the 2022 MLB Draft like Ivan Melendez. Carson Whisenhunt will be looking to carry the Pirates to Omaha on the mound.
Which Super Regional matchup will be the biggest upset?
RayMac: Oklahoma at VA Tech. The Sooners got snubbed for a host spot, but that didn’t stop them from frying some Gator down in Gainesville which, for the record, I don’t think should have hosted. Neither here, nor there, Oklahoma is on the road again facing an uber-talented VA Tech squad. I think the Sooners rally and punch their ticket to the World Series just as their Softball Counterparts have.
Jared: Arkansas at North Carolina. The Razorbacks mash. They out slugged Oklahoma State and I have a feeling they will do the same against the Tar Heels. With the defense of Bob Moore and offense of Cayden Wallace, the Razorbacks will be looking to make some noise in Tar Heel nation. Arkansas is very good. They were ranked #2 in D1Baseball’s preseason ranks and had some misfortunes during the season that bumped them down a bit. They’re red hot and it will take North Carolina all they got to stop them.
Who are three players to watch in the Super Regionals?
Ray Mac
- Tim Elko, 1B/OF Ole Miss: As mentioned above, the man is an old soul, and captain of the ship. He’s got mad juice and was playing completely unconscious last weekend.
- Cooper Hjerpe, LHP Oregon State: Recently named a Golden Spikes finalist, Hjerpe is straight filth. Hard to pick up and he just fills the zone. 15 Ks in 8.2 ip in the regional, including a two-inning save over Vandy, notching five punchies.
- Michael Turner, C Arkansas: Turner hits in the four-hole for Arkansas and isn’t a guy that you think is a physical specimen, but he takes great ABs and plays the game extremely hard. He came up with two HUGE RBIs against Oklahoma State on Monday and I think he will do more of the same this weekend.
Jared
- Gavin Cross, OF Virginia Tech: The Golden Spikes semifinalist is leader of the Hokies offense. Cross is most likely going to be a first round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Unreal bat speed with massive power potential. Just a physical beast at the plate and on the base paths.
- Austin Peterson, RHP UCONN: Peterson was quite impressive striking out 11 batters over 6 innings of the College Park Regional. He has taken the reins as the ace of the Huskies pitching staff and hasn’t looked back. He has the opportunity to help UCONN get off to a 1-0 lead against a real tough Stanford team.
- Ivan Melendez, 1B Texas: Talk about an absolute slugger. Melendez has raw power for days. He was recently named a finalist for the Golden Spikes award as well. He ranks first in the country in home runs (30), runs batted in (90), and OPS (1.417). The Longhorns will have a tough matchup against ECU so look for Melendez to start the offense early.
Who are your final eight making it to the College World Series?
RayMac: Stanford, Texas A&M, Southern Miss, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Oregon State, Arkansas
Jared: Tennessee, Stanford, Texas, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Southern Miss, Virginia Tech, Oregon State,
