The "Super 16" for college baseball has been set, and eight teams will clear the final hurdle that stands between them and Omaha. Here's my predictions for this weekend's super regionals:
Gainesville, Florida
Florida State (40-20) vs. Florida (50-13)
The Gators are one of two teams that have reached the 50-win mark this season. (Louisville being the other team with 50 wins.) Florida dominated their regional in Gainesville, and the Gators defeated the Seminoles in each of the three games the two teams played during the regular season. In those three games, Florida outscored Florida State 17-4. The Gators are the top national seed in this year's tournament for a reason, and I don't see Florida State winning a game in this super regional.
Prediction: Florida wins in two games.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Coastal Carolina (47-16) vs. LSU (45-19)
The "Rally Possum" has become the brand of the Bayou Bengals' postseason run. Since making his (or her) appearance on May 7 against Arkansas, the Tigers have gone 16-3 and won their regional over Rice. Coastal has won some difficult games themselves, including the Raleigh, North Carolina regional final that lasted two days because of inclement weather. The Tigers' lineup isn't as talented as it was in 2015, but this team has the tools on offense and the pitching to get back to Omaha.
Prediction: LSU wins in three games.
Lubbock, Texas
East Carolina (37-21-1) vs. Texas Tech (45-17)
I didn't expect the Pirates to make it through the Charlottesville, Virginia regional, but here they are. Texas Tech cruised through their regional, and many expected that the Red Raiders would be facing off against the Virginia Cavaliers. With that not being the case, I see Texas Tech getting by East Carolina to get to the College World Series, but not without the Pirates' pitching stealing one of the super regional games.
Prediction: Texas Tech wins in three games.
College Station, Texas
TCU (45-15) vs. Texas A&M (48-14)
A rematch of last year's super regional looks to be one of the most interesting series of the weekend. TCU edged the Aggies in game three of last year's super regionals in the 16th inning! If you don't think Texas A&M hasn't dwelled on that over the past year, then you're clearly out of your mind. The Aggies put together an impressive season at the plate and on the mound, winning the SEC Tournament over the top-seeded Florida Gators in Hoover. After last year's painful loss to TCU, I firmly think that the Aggies get the job done in a hurry this weekend to advance to Omaha.
Prediction: Texas A&M wins in two games.
Louisville, Kentucky
UC Santa Barbara (40-18-1) vs. Louisville (50-12)
This Louisville team has been simply impressive all season. The Cardinals are legitimate contender to hoist up the trophy in Omaha. The Tournament Committee had planned to see an epic super regional here that would put Vanderbilt against Louisville, but the Commodores were unable to get out of the Nashville regional. I think we'll see one of the more dominating performances of the weekend out of this super regional, as the Gauchos have exceeded expectations by just getting to the super regionals.
Prediction: Louisville wins in two games.
Columbia, South Carolina
Oklahoma State (39-20) vs. South Carolina (46-16)
Things looked grim for the Gamecocks, when they dropped their first regional matchup against Rhode Island after leading 4-0 to start the game. South Carolina rebounded nicely, winning four-straight games and bringing a lot of momentum into this weekend's matchup. Oklahoma State stormed through the Clemson regional, displaying a ton of talent on the mound. This South Carolina team seems to respond to adversity, and that's why I'm going to pick them to win in three games.
Prediction: South Carolina wins in three games.
Starkville, Mississippi
Arizona (42-21) vs. Mississippi State (44-16-1)
Arizona's pitching carried them through a dramatic Lafayette regional. This Mississippi State team, led by super-freshman Jake Mangum, could very well be the best offensive team in the country. Not to mention they've got one of the best pitchers in the country in Dakota Hudson starting for them as well. The Bulldogs' bats will bounce the Wildcats quickly in this super regional.
Prediction: Mississippi State wins in two games.
Coral Gables, Florida
Boston College (34-20) vs. Miami (48-11)
This series is much more intriguing than it looks to be on paper. These two teams did not meet in either the regular season or ACC Tournament, and Boston College is more talented than people give them credit for. The Eagles won series against Louisville and Georgia Tech and cruised through the Oxford regional. This is Boston College's first appearance in the super regionals, and the Eagles have the pitching to make things interesting. At the end of the day, the Hurricanes will make another trip to Omaha.
Prediction: Miami wins in three games.
As always, thanks for reading! Be sure to follow me this weekend on Twitter @griffaldo.
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