We move back to Bracket 2 in the College World Series on Monday, where both Arkansas and LSU will take the field again.
However, the Tigers' upset victory over the Razorbacks on Saturday has the highest national seed on the brink of elimination. Can they keep their season alive?
Let's dive into my College World Series picks and NCAA baseball predictions for the CWS games on Monday, June 16.
Note: While parlaying these picks isn't our official recommendation, we've put together an easy way to do so below.
College World Series Picks for Monday, June 16
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 2 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Find more college baseball content on our NCAA Baseball page. | ||
Arkansas vs Murray State Pick
The Razorbacks' bats were silenced by the duo of LSU's Kade Anderson and Chase Shores. However, this afternoon, they get a far better matchup against Murray State starter Isaac Silva and the staff behind him.
Silva has not been sharp lately, as he comes in with a 9.88 ERA over his last three starts. Silva doesn't miss many bats and allows plenty of traffic with a K/9 mark of 8.3, and his WHIP of 1.43 portrays this.
After mustering just one run against LSU, we should see Arkansas' lineup bounce back in a big way. After all, this is a lineup that ranked second in wRC+ and seventh in OPS this season.
While I expect the Razorbacks to get to Silva, they should blow this one open against the Murray State bullpen, which has been a concern all postseason long, given the lack of strikeouts and high collective WHIP.
Although, on the other side of this matchup, we've learned that the Murray State lineup can't be counted out against anyone. The Racers can mash with the best of them, and they ranked ninth in wRC+ and 25th in OPS this season.
Their task is much more difficult, as they'll have to contend with Gage Wood. Wood is a peculiar case, as he has elite strikeout upside and leads the nation in xFIP, but his season ERA sits at 5.02.
So, will we see all that positive regression come to fruition this afternoon? Wood certainly has the potential to be lights-out, but this Racers lineup is game and doesn't strike out often. In fact, Murray State ranks 12th nationally in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching.
Look for a breakout offensive performance from the Hogs here, as they'll lead the dance while Murray State claws a few across to get this game over the total.
Pick: Over 10.5 (-115 · Play to 11.5)
| |
UCLA vs LSU Pick
The LSU Tigers are sitting pretty in the winners' bracket as everything has gone to plan thus far. They only needed to use two arms in an upset win over Arkansas, and they now get to throw another stud in Anthony Eyanson tonight.
Anderson may get more buzz, but Eyanson can be just as dominant. He pitched to a 2.74 ERA and 1.14 WHIP this season while averaging 13 strikeouts per nine innings.
What's great for us is that he's shown no signs of regression, so he's the guy to back against a UCLA lineup that's no joke in its own right.
However, the issue I've had with the Bruins throughout the postseason is their lack of pitching depth when having to contend with elite lineups. Tonight, they'll start Ian May, who holds a 4.93 ERA over 69 1/3 innings of work.
May has been solid recently, but he hasn't faced a lineup like LSU's. The Tigers can mash, as they ranked eighth in wRC+ and 31st in OPS this season.
As for May, he pitches to contact. He averages only 6.1 strikeouts per nine innings, and all that contact allowed has him in line for regression. May's xFIP of 5.89 and SIERA of 4.63 show he's due to be knocked around against an elite lineup.
With Eyanson on the mound of the Tigers and plenty of run support expected, back LSU to cover the run line as it improves to 2-0 in Omaha.
Pick: LSU -2.5 (+102)
