We have our first college baseball midweek slate of the season, and if you should know anything about these matchups, it's to expect the unexpected.
Many midweek games are interstate rivalries where small schools play up to their power conference counterparts.
I've found a few mid-majors that are primed to shine tonight, so let's dive into my three college baseball picks and NCAA baseball predictions for Tuesday, February 17.
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 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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 5:30 p.m. | |
  | 6:05 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 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. | ||
South Carolina vs Wofford Pick
The Wofford Terriers, fresh off a dominant sweep of Mercyhurst, where they outscored the Lakers, 35-3, play host to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday.
It was a much quieter opening weekend for the Gamecocks, who played three tight games against Northern Kentucky and dropped the series finale.
Now, they're tasked with bouncing back from that loss on the road. They'll hand the ball to sophomore Connor Chicoli, who struck out the side in his lone inning of work this past weekend.
However, the trend with midweek games is that pitching, whether announced or not, is a big question mark for most teams.
Chicoli, a transfer from Georgia Tech, posted a 5.46 ERA last season and held a .308 BAA with just a 15.3% strikeout rate.
Those numbers point to plenty of contact allowed against a Wofford lineup that's seeing the ball well out of the gate.
The Terriers also appear to have the edge on the mound with Champ Davis getting the ball. Davis made massive strides as a junior, holding a 1.53 ERA and .190 BAA across 29 1/3 innings.
He should provide a handful of quality innings, and that may be enough for the bats to build an early lead.
Back the home 'dog in this one.
Pick: Wofford ML +110
| | |
San Diego vs Long Beach State Pick
Next, we head out west, where this game was moved up due to impending weather, and will now be a 3:05 p.m. local time.
The Long Beach State Dirtbags get ready to host their fourth game in five days and are looking to find some middle ground after dropping their opening series to San Jose State.
In their lone win, they put up 12 runs, but in both losses, they combined for just two.
It's clear the bats aren't there yet for the Dirtbags, which was to be expected. This roster had a ton of turnover, and the production they brought in is inexperienced.
As for the Toreros, they also experienced some highs and lows this past weekend. They took two from Charlotte, but in between two wins was a 13-0 loss.
However, their ability to take the series after a tough loss is momentum that should carry into this matchup. The Tereros were hit hard by the transfer portal but retained a solid core and made plenty of power conference additions of their own.
Pitching aside, it's clear that San Diego is the team trending in the right direction and has a massive edge at the dish.
Pick: San Diego ML -145
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Texas Tech vs UTRGV Pick
Lastly, we turn to one of my favorite mid-major teams to target, the Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros. The Vaqueros were a base hit away from taking a series from the Kansas Jayhawks this past weekend and are primed to get their upset win tonight.
Coming into the season, we knew this team was going to rake, and they did just that. However, it was their starting pitching that helped them take Game 1 against Kansas, and their No. 4 starter tonight offers some real upside.
Kiké Cienfuegos is an undersized arm who was a multi-inning option in 2025. He pitched to a 4.81 ERA and held a .268 BAA across 10 outings. However, his 3.73 SIERA and 1.36 WHIP suggest he's due for positive regression this season.
He faces a Texas Tech lineup that couldn't hang with the big boys at Globe Life Field. The Red Raiders were swept in the Shriners College Classic and were outscored, 29-11, in the process.
While I expect the Red Raiders' bats to pick up a bit, their pitching staff doesn't get a break here. The Vaqueros lineup is for real, and beating them at home is going to be a tough thing to do, even for Big 12 teams.
Pick: UTRGV ML +110
