We’re coming up on the second weekend of College Baseball and here are the Top 3 Series to Watch this weekend.
#15 Maryland at #9 Ole Miss
The 2-2 Maryland Terrapins head to Oxford to take on the 4-0 Ole Miss Rebels in a series that has the potential to be one of the more exciting non-conference matchups that we get this year. Ole Miss ace Hunter Elliott is out this weekend, and potentially for the season, with what many fear to be a torn UCL. On the offensive side of the ball you’re looking at two of the premier shortstops in this year’s draft in Matt Shaw of Maryland and Jacob Gonzalez of Ole Miss going to head to head. Look for tons of runs to be scored in Oxford this weekend.
Names to watch for Ole Miss:
Jacob Gonzalez, SS
Kemp Alderman, LF/DH
Ethan Lege, 3B
Grayson Saunier, RHP (Saturday starter)
Names to watch for Maryland:
Matt Shaw, SS
Ian Petrutz, DH
Nick Lorrusso, 3B
Luke Shliger, C
#16 North Carolina at #24 East Carolina
Another top ranked matchup and a battle for the best team in North Carolina is coming at you this weekend as North Carolina faces East Carolina. UNC will travel to Greenville Friday and Saturday before hosting the series finale in Chapel Hill on Sunday. Both teams come in at 3-1, with the Tar Heels dropping their season opener to Seton Hall and ECU losing in extra innings to Campbell mid-week. Both of these lineups are filled with guys one through nine who can rake, giving either team the potential to light up the scoreboard on any given day. Look for top 2024 draft prospect Vance Honeycutt of UNC to continue to show on the big stage why he should be the #1 draft pick next season.
Names to watch for North Carolina
Vance Honeycutt, CF
Mac Horvath, 3B
Jackson Van de Brake, 2B
Names to watch for ECU:
Jacob Starling, 2B
Justin Wilcoxen, C
Jacod Jenkins-Cowart, CF
#13 UCLA at #5 Vanderbilt
UCLA is heading to Nashville this weekend to take on Vanderbilt after a hot start. While UCLA is 4-0, the level of competition has not exactly been outstanding, so this will be a real test to see just how good the Bruins really are. Vanderbilt comes into this series after a disappointing mid-week loss to Central Arkansas at home after a season opening loss to TCU at the College Baseball Showdown. Those two losses don’t sound great but they did beat Texas and Oklahoma State over the Opening Weekend. Both of these two teams year in and year out have tremendous talent and it’s always worth tuning in to watch these type of games with future MLB stars all over the field.
Names to watch for Vanderbilt:
Enrique Bradfield Jr, CF
Parker Noland, 1B
Johnathan Vastine, 2B
Names to watch for UCLA:
JonJon Vaughns, RF
Duce Gourson, 2B
Jack Holman, DH