College baseball conference tournaments are beginning to narrow down as some tickets will be punched while others fight for spots in the championships on Sunday.
I've found value in two marquee matchups, Florida vs Georgia, and USC vs UCLA.
Let's dive into my two college baseball picks and NCAA baseball predictions for Saturday, May 23.
College Baseball Picks, Predictions
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Action Network's Doug Ziefel is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 1 p.m. | |
  | 3 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Florida vs. Georgia
We kick things off this Saturday in Hoover, where the rain has finally gone away in time for a semifinal matchup between the red-hot Florida Gators and the top-seeded Georgia Bulldogs.
Florida is a team that appears to be peaking at the right time, and their two wins this week have already bolstered its seeding in the field of 64. As for Georgia, they are likely locked in as host, but that doesn't mean their top arms don't need to get work in.
We will see Georgia's Saturday starter, Dylan Vigue, on regular rest. Vigue has been very solid this season, pitching to a 3.57 ERA and holding a 1.26 WHIP while striking out over 11 batters per nine innings.
He should be the guy to cool down a Florida lineup that has been overperforming lately, averaging 3.3 more runs per game in their last 10 matchups.
On the other side of this matchup, we have Russell Sandefer. Sandefer provided a ton of quality innings as the Gators' Sunday starter. He pitched to a 4.47 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP while holding a 3.37 SIERA.
The Bulldogs lineup is a daunting task, but Sandefer's command and low flyball rate lead him to profile for success in Hoover, which is a ballpark that has historically been pitcher-friendly.
Take the under here.
Pick: Under 12.5 (-125) | Play to 11.5
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USC vs. UCLA
Next, we move to the Big Ten Tournament semifinal, where runs are going to be at a premium. This matchup between the No. 19 USC Trojans and No. 1 UCLA Bruins features two of the best pitching staffs in the country.
The Bruins rank second in team ERA and WHIP, while the Trojans are not far behind, sitting at fifth in ERA and third in WHIP. For USC, they are going to hand the ball to their Saturday starter, Grant Govel.
Grovel is arguably the best No. 2 starter in the country as he comes into this outing with a 2.76 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. Govel competed fiercely against the Bruins back in May as he fought through five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out three.
However, he's progressed a ton since then, and the sophomore should turn in an even better outing this afternoon.
As for the Bruins, the injury to Logan Reddemann has created a shuffle of the Bruins' starting rotation, but after Wylan Moss took the ball yesterday, UCLA has a bevy of options, and we may even see a combination of Michael Barnett, Angel Cervantes, or Landon Stump.
That trio will be backed up by a stellar bullpen that was not taxed at all against Purdue.
The number of arms in this matchup and the cool weather at Charles Schwab Field are a recipe for a pitcher's duel.
Pick: Under 10.5 (-120) | Play to 9.5
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