The opening matchups of the College World Series lived up to the hype, as we saw great pitching performances, late-inning drama and future big leaguers all across the diamond.
However, today, the season will end for one team, while another has the chance to be up 2-0 in Bracket 1.
So, without further ado, let's dive into my College World Series picks and NCAA baseball predictions for Sunday, June 15.
College World Series Picks for Sunday, June 15
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 college 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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 2 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Check out more college baseball content on our NCAA Baseball page. | ||
Arizona vs Louisville Pick
Both the Arizona Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals battled in their opening matchups of the College World Series, but ultimately, they each came up short in the late innings and are now on the brink of elimination.
While both of these teams proved they can hang with the national seeds of this bracket, Arizona has the edge in this matchup. That edge is freshman pitcher Smith Bailey, who came up big for the Wildcats in his Super Regional outing against North Carolina.
Bailey and Louisville's projected starter, fellow freshman Ethan Eberle, are pretty even on paper, but Smith is due to get better, while Eberle's numbers point toward regression.
Bailey's 3.85 SIERA and xFIP of 4.52 paint a much better story than Eberle's SIERA of 4.01 and xFIP of 5.76. Plus, Bailey is primed to give the Wildcats more length after tossing 83 innings this season, while Eberle totaled just 58 in a similar number of appearances.
For Louisville, having to rely on its bullpen against a hot lineup like Arizona's is not ideal. The Cardinals' bullpen ranked 92nd in ERA and 129th in WHIP.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats' bats have carried them through this postseason, as they rank 29th in OPS and 16th in wRC+ over their last 10 games.
Look for the 'Cats to stay hot at the plate and give Bailey plenty of run support as they live to see another game in Omaha.
Pick: Arizona ML -120
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Coastal Carolina vs Oregon State Pick
As for the Chanticleers and the Beavers, they were on the winning side of the late-game heroics in each of their opening College World Series matchups. Both teams displayed what got them to Omaha: pitching depth.
However, Coastal Carolina took an interesting approach by piggybacking Cameron Flukey behind No. 3 starter Riley Eikhoff. Both were solid, but Flukey's ability to give the Chanticleers length out of the bullpen puts them at a slight advantage in the late innings.
Although, I'm opting not to sweat the late innings of this matchup with Jacob Morrison and Ethan Kleinschmit on the mound. Morrison is the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year, and deservedly so, as he held a 2.15 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP through 17 starts.
He showed that his stuff can compete with elite lineups, shutting down the Auburn Tigers on the road, tossing six innings of one-run ball while striking out six.
The same can be said for Kleinschmidt, as he was lights-out for the Beavers in his Super Regional start against Florida State. He threw six innings, allowing just two hits and one unearned run while striking out 11.
It's clear that both of these teams are peaking at the right time, and there's no indication of them slowing down in Omaha.
Plus, as we've seen, the shadows in the early part of these 6 p.m. CT starts give the pitchers a significant advantage, as the ball is hard to pick up.
Take the first five under.
Pick: F5 Under 5 (-125)
