Happy Friday! The MLB lockout continues and we have just 10 days left for MLB to get a deal done before Regular Season gets delayed. But I have good news! There is baseball returning today and if you’ve never watched college baseball then you are in for a treat. Below I’ve highlighted some big match-ups occurring this weekend and how you can watch them if you are so inclined.

The Top 25 rankings I’m using are the USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll, and most other references are from Baseball America, including the Top 50 College Prospects list for the 2022 MLB Draft. While MLB is locked out, I’ll highlight the top match-ups every weekend throughout the college baseball season. There will be plenty of focus on top MLB prospects, so when the draft comes in the summer, you’ll already know many of the names that get called.

Match-ups to Watch

Long Beach State at #3 Mississippi State

Friday, 2:00 (SECN+): RHP Luis Ramirez (3-So.) vs RHP Landon Sims (Jr.)

Satuday, 3:00 (SECN+): RHP Marques Johnson (Jr.) vs RHP KC Hunt (Jr.)

Sunday, 2:00 (SECN+): RHP Juaron Watts-Brown (R-Fr) vs RHP Cade Smith (So.)

The defending National Champs return to action against Long Beach State on Opening Weekend. Friday will be must-watch tv as Junior righty Landon Sims and battery mate Logan Tanner feature for the Bulldogs. Both are ranked in to Top 20 draft eligible college players according to Baseball America. All three games will be available to stream on SECN+, which for me, is on ESPN+.

Landon Sims was the closer for the Bulldogs last season but transitions to Friday Night Ace this year. Mississippi State’s success will really depend on how well he makes that transition. If he’s able to continue his dominance in a starting role, then Mississippi State could very likely make a run at another National Championship.

On the flip side, Long Beach State is just on the outside of the USA Today Top 25. Their Friday night starter, Luis Ramirez, is a draft eligible sophomore. In 2020 as a freshman, he led the team with 26.1 innings pitched during the shortened season. He went 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA and was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All American. His 2021 was a bit disappointing, as his ERA ballooned to 4.27 in 65.1 innings in which he also walked 25 batters. A good 2022 campaign will go a long way for his draft prospects.

It’s the Opening Weekend, so really anything can happen. But Starkville, Mississippi is going to be hoppin’ and I expect an electric atmosphere to celebrate their 2021 National Championship. The Bulldogs will take at least two of three, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a dominant sweep to start the year.

Top Prospects (According to Baseball America’s Top 50 College Prospects)

SP Landon Sims, MSU #19

C  Logan Tanner, MSU #20

#8 Oklahoma State at #2 Vanderbilt

Friday, 5:30 (SEC+): RHP Justin Campbell (3-So.) vs RHP Chris McElvain, (Jr.)

Saturday, 2:00 (SEC+): RHP Victor Mederos (3-So.) vs RHP Nick Maldonado (Jr.)

Sunday, 2:00 (SEC+): RHP Trever Martin (So.) vs LHP Carter Holton (Fr.)

This is the blockbuster series of the Opening Weekend, featuring a clash of preseason Top 10 teams. Vanderbilt enters the 2022 ranked #2 in the nation, which is where they finished 2021 after losing to Mississippi State in the College World Series final. Oklahoma State is ranked in the Top 10 after a disappointing showing in the Tucson Regional in 2021, which featured two lopsided losses to third-seeded UC Santa Barbara to end their season.

With Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker gone, and Christian Little and Patrick Reilly not in this weekend’s rotation, Vandy turns to three new starters. Juniors Chris McElvain and Nick Maldonado were bullpen pieces during Vandy’s CWS Run last season, and look to develop further in their new roles. Carter Holton is a true freshman southpaw that could ultimately be the best of these three starters. Maldonado did make Baseball America’s second team preason All America list as a reliever, so we know he’s got some talent. The question is whether that success will translate to a starting role. Carter Young and Spencer Jones in the lineup are joined by Sophomore outfielder Enrique Bradford Jr., who will be a top prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft.

Oklahoma State, on the other hand, features a lethal 1-2 punch in their weekend rotation from draft eligible sophomores Justin Campbell and Victor Mederos. Campbell is a preseason All American, while Victor Mederos was a promising freshman for Miami before transferring to OSU. Campbell may also hit, having hit .269 in 67 AB’s in 2021.  The Cowboys have some decent hitter, but the strength of the team relies heavily on the pitching staff.

Vanderbilt has been a premier program as of late. In fact, they’re probably the premier program. I think they might be a tad overrated, especially not having any of their Top 4 starters from last year returning to the rotation, at least for this series in the cases of Little and Reilly. I think Campbell and Mederos are lights out on the road, and the Cowboys take two of three from Vandy.

Top Prospects (According to Baseball America’s Top 50 College Prospects)

SS Carter Young, Vanderbilt #11

1B Spencer Jones, Vanderbilt #16

SP Victor Mederos, OSU #21

SP/1B Justin Campbell, OSU #46

State Farm College Baseball Showdown

Friday

12:00 PM- Auburn vs Oklahoma

4:00 PM- #15 Arizona vs Kansas State

8:00 PM- #12 Texas Tech vs Michigan

Saturday

12:00 PM- Kansas State vs Michigan

4:00 PM- #12 Texas Tech vs Auburn

8:00 PM- #15 Arizona vs Oklahoma

Sunday

12:00 PM- Auburn vs Kansas State

3:30 PM- #15 Arizona vs #12 Texas Tech

8:00 PM- Oklahoma vs Michigan

The State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas looks to be a premier event for college baseball. Unfortunately, these games will only be able to stream through Flo Sports, a streaming service that will cost $29.99 monthly, which may not be worth it for a mere weekend of games. This is unfortunate, given that these 6 teams have a slew of top prospects to watch, including #1 prospect Jace Jung of Texas Tech and one of the top draft eligible catchers in Daniel Susac of Arizona. If you’re a Nats fan looking for a team to root for, check out Arizona– their new manager is a familiar face. 2019 World Series winning Bench Coach Chip Hale runs the University of Arizona program which is currently ranked #15 in the nation. Remember he actually managed the Nats briefly in Game 6 of the World Series after Davey Martinez was ejected following the infamous Trea Turner first baseline fiasco.

Top Prospects (According to Baseball America’s Top 50 College Prospects)

2B Jace Jung, TTU #1

C  Daniel Susac, Arizona #4

3B Peyton Graham, OU #27

SP/SS Cade Horton, OU #33

OF Clark Elliot, Michigan #48

Other Top 25 Matchups

Rice at #1 Texas

Texas hosts in-state rival Rice in a three-game series on Opening Weekend. All three games are available on The Longhorn Network. The #1 team in the nation features just one Top 50 draft eligible prospect in shortstop Trey Faltine, but there’s a reason they’re still #1 in all the polls despite losing 6 starters from last year’s CWS team. Pete Hanson isn’t getting the respect he deserves on a national stage, as the draft eligible sophomore becomes their ace after a stellar 2021 where he went 9-1 with a 1.88 ERA in 19 appearances (14 starts). Redshirt Junior outfielder Ivan Melendez will join Trey Faltine in anchoring the Texas lineup, having led the team with a .319 batting average in 2021.

Top Prospects

SS Trey Faltine, Texas #34

Illinois State at #4 Arkansas

Arkansas was the top overall seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament but were eliminated by the underdog NC State Wolfpack in the Super Regionals. They’ll hope to rebound from that disappointment this year, especially considering they return three top-15 draft eligible prospects in 2022. Righty Peyton Pallette might be the best pitcher in the country, and sophomore Jaxon Wiggins is a third team preseason All-American for Baseball America. Robert Moore, Cayden Wallace, and sophomore Peyton Stovall will bolster the lethal Razorback lineup. All three games will be available on SECN+.

Top Prospects

SP Peyton Pallette, Arkansas #5

2B Robert Moore, Arkansas #8

3B/OF Cayden Wallace, Arkansas #12

Cal State Fullerton at #5 Stanford

Stanford enters 2022 ranked inside the Top 25 and will get a nice litmus test right out of the gate in Cal State Fullerton. The games are available on the Pac-12N+, which will be hard for most of east coaster to access. That’s a shame, because Stanford outfielder Brock Jones is a stud and worth the price of admission.

Top Prospects

OF Brock Jones, Stanford #30

Maine at #7 LSU

LSU enters a new era following the retirement of legendary manager Paul Mainieri following the 2021 season. But man, are the Tigers loaded, especially on the corner infield spots. If you saw the latest Baseball America Mock Draft, then you saw the Nationals were projected to take 3B/1B Jacob Berry #5 overall. While you won’t likely see him much at 3B due to defense, his bat is already very nearly MLB-ready. Cade Doughty will likely be the starter at 3B most of the time and is just slightly lower than Berry in terms of MLB potential. Both of Sophomore outfielder Dylan Crews and Sophomore first baseman Tre Morgan are Baseball America All Americans, and will likely be top 2023 draft prospects. All three games will be available on SECN+.

Top Prospects

1B/3B Jacob Berry, LSU #6

3B Cade Doughty, LSU #10

James Madison at #14 Florida State

Perhaps surprisingly, that best player on the field won’t be playing for Florida State. JMU outfielder Chase DeLauter is an absolute stud, and amongst the best outfielders available in the 2022 MLB Draft. He’ll start the season facing two stud pitchers in Parker Messick and Bryce Hubbart on Friday and Saturday, respectively. All three games will be available on ACCN+.

Top Prospects

OF Chase DeLauter, JMU #22

SP Parker Messick, FSU #37

SP Bryce Hubbart, FSU #50