The college baseball postseason is finally upon us. After a wild regular season, teams will now battle their conference foes for one more week with varying goals on the line.
Tuesday's slate got started early with the first pitch of the day already having been thrown, but two of the best games are still to come.
Let's dive into my two college baseball picks and NCAA baseball predictions for Tuesday, May 19.
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 Tuesday's slate of NCAA baseball 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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 5 p.m. | |
  | 9 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. | ||
Clemson vs Notre Dame Pick
There are multiple variables that can make conference tournament week difficult to handicap.
The biggest issue is knowing who's pitching. The daily schedule and odd start times often make teams apprehensive about using their Friday starters early in the week, as pitchers are typically creatures of habit.
However, that's not the case in this first-round matchup between the Clemson Tigers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Clemson will send its ascending ace, Michael Sharman, while Notre Dame counters with its own in Jack Radel.
While both have been excellent this season, the edge goes to Radel. We've seen the right-hander dominate on multiple occasions, posting a 3.32 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 32.2% strikeout rate.
Radel had one of his best outings of the season against Clemson, tossing a complete game shutout while allowing just four hits and striking out eight. Even if we can't expect him to replicate that dominance, just a portion of that performance will put the Irish in a great spot this afternoon.
As for Sharman, he's been great in his own right, but he has some red flags entering this outing. Sharman doesn't miss many bats and is significantly worse against right-handed hitters, with a 4.32 FIP vs. righties compared to a 3.08 FIP vs. lefties.
The Fighting Irish have notably done damage against lefties all season, as eight of their nine bats have hit over .340 off them.
With Radel on the mound and the bats in a great spot, the Irish are a strong team to back.
Pick: Notre Dame ML -130
| |
Oklahoma vs LSU Pick
Above, I talked about how not knowing the pitching matchup is a variable we'll have to contend with this week, but the other big variable is motivation.
The LSU Tigers, the defending national champions, have fallen off a cliff performance-wise this season. They've struggled mightily in SEC play this year.
They enter their conference tournament as the No. 14 seed, and while they have the pedigree, the Tigers need to pick up a few wins in Hoover to secure a spot in the bottom half of the field of 64.
LSU has shown that it's willing to play with urgency, and its ace, William Schmidt, is getting the ball tonight. Don't let Schmidt's 4.22 ERA fool you; his stuff is electric, and he has the potential to be lights-out against any lineup.
The Oklahoma Sooners, who are much more secure in their postseason projection, are giving reliever/midweek starter Gavyn Jones the start.
Jones showed flashes of success this season but ultimately enters this matchup with a 6.20 ERA over 20 1/3 innings.
Jones doesn't miss bats and has had fits with his command. His few innings of work have the potential to be a disaster against an LSU lineup that has plenty of power.
Back the Tigers with confidence tonight as they aim to get right at the right time.
Pick: LSU ML -135 ( Play to -155)
