By Hunt Palmer
Around the country, 64 teams begin The Road to Omaha on Friday.
The Southeastern Conference has dominated the sport over the last five years. This year the league garnered 13 postseason teams, eight hosts and six top eight seeds. Can the ACC punch back this year after dismal College World Series showing last June? Is there a Fresno State or Coastal Carolina ready for a run? Is that…Coastal Carolina?
The next four days are jam-packed with action. Here are my picks for the 16 regional winners
Nashville Regional
(1) Vanderbilt, (2) Louisville, (3) East Tennessee State, (4) Wright State
This is not one of Dan McDonnell’s great Louisville teams. Vandy has found some pop in their bats, and the staff is too good. The No. 1 overall seed should have much trouble.
HUNT’S PICK: Vanderbilt
Austin Regional
(1) Texas, (2) UTSA, (3) Kansas State, (4) Houston Christian
Texas is leaking a little bit of oil down the stretch, and UTSA has already won in Austin this season. Plus, this K-State program won the Fayetteville Regional last year. Still, I think Texas gets it done this weekend, maybe on Monday.
HUNT’S PICK: Texas
Fayetteville Regional
(1) Arkansas, (2) Kansas, (3) Creighton, (4) North Dakota State
The Arkansas pitching is deeper than it is dominant. Kansas is top-11 in the country in walks and home runs. That can be dangerous. I’ll take the Hogs, but beware the Jayhawks.
HUNT’S PICK: Arkansas
Auburn Regional
(1) Auburn, (2) North Carolina State, (3) Stetson, (4) Central Connecticut St
Auburn’s lineup has become a force with Ike Irish and Cooper McMurray joined by a host of freshmen like Chris Rembert and Chase Fralick. What does the Tiger staff have behind Sam Dutton? Can Elliot Avant and NC State make another run? The Wolfpack was 4-0 vs. Clemson and North Carolina in the regular season.
HUNT’S PICK: North Carolina State
Chapel Hill Regional
(1) North Carolina, (2) Oklahoma, (3) Nebraska, (4) Holy Cross
Oklahoma is holding Kyson Witherspoon for Saturday and a potential meeting with North Carolina. The Tar Heels are throwing Jake Knapp, the ACC Pitcher of the Year, against Holy Cross. The Tar Heels hit more than the Sooners, but Saturday could provide a classic if OU and get by the Huskers.
HUNT’S PICK: North Carolina
Baton Rouge Regional
(1) LSU, (2) Dallas Baptist, (3) Rhode Island, (4) Little Rock
Jay Johnson hopes Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson are enough to get into the Sunday night game. Rhode Island will use ace Trystan Levesque against Dallas Baptist on Friday. He’s really their only quality arm. DBU is game in the midweek against the power four. How about in a regional?
HUNT’S PICK: LSU
Athens Regional
(1) Georgia, (2) Duke, (3) Oklahoma State, (4) Binghamton
Get your hardhats ready if you’re seated in the Foley Field outfield. It may be raining baseballs. Duke won’t mind getting into a slugfest or two with Georgia, the nation’s home run leader. Georgia can be scary in that ballpark, but I think the Blue Devils are game.
HUNT’S PICK: Duke
Corvallis Regional
(1) Oregon State, (2) TCU, (3) Southern Cal, (4) St. Mary’s
This isn’t a classic Oregon State team, though there is talent led by Gavin Turley and Aiva Arquette and their 31 combine homers. TCU has a balanced offense. If Tommy LaPour, who is a ball of energy, gets a chance to pitch against the Beavers, TCU has a shot. Corvallis is a tough place to win.
HUNT’S PICK: Oregon State
Tallahassee Regional
(1) Florida State, (2) Northeastern, (3) Mississippi State, (4) Bethune-Cookman
If anyone can match LSU’s Anderson and Eyanson at the top of the rotation, it’s Florida State with Jamie Arnold and Joey Volini. Link Jarrett is starting Volini on Friday, so Arnold will be ready for the MSU/Northeastern winner. State is holding Pico Kohn and Northeastern leads the nation in ERA and wins. Arnold will be too much, though.
HUNT’S PICK: Florida State
Oxford Regional
(1) Ole Miss, (2) Georgia Tech, (3) Western Kentucky, (4) Murray State
Mike Bianco has Ole Miss back in a host spot. Danny Hall is retiring after more than three decades at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets won the ACC this year, albeit with a light schedule. Bianco is throwing ace Hunter Elliott at a potent Murray State offense on Friday night. I like Drew Burress and the Jacket lineup against the rest of the Rebel staff, even in Oxford.
HUNT’S PICK: Georgia Tech
Clemson Regional
(1) Clemson, (2) West Virginia, (3) Kentucky, (4) USC Upstate
Cam Cannerrella is as exciting a player as there is in college baseball. He patrols center for Clemson. Aiden Kaack, the Clemson ace, has also been awesome. He’s 9-1 with 106 strikeouts. West Virginia lost its last two Big 12 series, and Kentucky just doesn’t have a real strength to lean on. Clemson should coast here.
HUNT’S PICK: Clemson
Eugene Regional
(1) Oregon, (2) Arizona, (3) Cal Poly, (4) Utah Valley
Arizona won the Big 12 Tournament with wins over West Virginia and TCU, but the lineup is top heavy, and the pitching is without an ace. Oregon swept Oregon State in four games and had little trouble in the Big 10.
HUNT’S PICK: Oregon
Conway Regional
(1) Coastal Carolina, (2) Florida, (3) East Carolina, (4) Fairfield
Coastal has legitimate pro prospects on its pitching staff, and Florida is very banged up. Luke Heyman won’t play. However, Liam Peterson and Aidan King have been a sensational 1-2 in the rotation during Florida’s second half surge. East Carolina isn’t nearly what they’ve been the last few years under Cliff Godwin. This will be a popular pick, but I’m going Gators to with their second straight road regional.
HUNT’S PICK: Florida
Knoxville Regional
(1) Tennessee, (2) Wake Forest, (3) Cincinnati, (4) Miami (OH)
Tony Vitello doesn’t move his rotation. Ever. And he’s not this week, meaning Liam Doyle will pitch versus Miami of Ohio. That could line up Marcus Phillips to face Cincinnati. If so, the Bearcats steal bases better than anyone in the tournament, and Phillips holds runners worse than anyone in the tournament. Wake Forest really only has one of the elite arms they’ve produced over the years, Blake Morningstar. No word yet on when he’ll pitch. The Vols have been pitiful in Lindsey-Nelson Stadium this year, but I’m not betting against them this week.
HUNT’S PICK: Tennessee
Los Angeles Regional
(1) UCLA, (2) UC-Irvine, (3) Arizona State, (4) Fresno State
UCLA played very well in the Big 10 Tournament last week. The Anteaters swept UCLA in the midweek and got a game in Corvallis earlier this year. Arizona state can really hit, led by Matt King who is hitting .405. It’s the Sun Devil pitching that’s a problem. I’m torn between the Eaters and Sun Devils here.
HUNT’S PICK: Arizona State
Hattiesburg Regional
(1) Southern Miss, (2) Alabama, (3) Miami, (4) Columbia
Southern Miss will hold JB Middleton for a potential match up with Alabama’s bats. Middleton vs Riley Quick will be a spectacle in Hattiesburg. I think the home team wins it and the Regional.
HUNT’S PICK: Southern Miss
