We move into the final weekend for non-conference games for most teams, which is a last chance to figure everything out before things get serious. We’ll take a look at some of the best matchups in week 4.
Best Series:
Texas Tech at Kentucky: Fri, 3 pm CT (SECN+); Sat, 12 pm CT (SECN+); Sun, 12 pm CT (SECN+)
This is by far my favorite matchup of the weekend. Kentucky is coming off a big weekend in Houston; although, they did suffer a setback against Northern Kentucky during the week. But the Red Raiders put their undefeated record on the line in Lexington. This is a potential College World Series matchup and we get it as a series in the fourth week of the season. Both teams have suffered a serious blow with Texas Tech’s Steven Gingery going done for the season, and Kentucky’s best hitter – Tristan Pompey – out with an injury. We’ll see if Kentucky’s offense can continue it’s hot hitting against Texas Tech’s dominate pitching staff.
Stanford at Texas: Thu, 6:30 pm CT (LHN); Fri, 6:30 pm CT (LHN); Sat, 2:30 pm CT (LHN); Sun, 1 pm CT (LHN)
I don’t if anyone has played a tougher schedule to start the season than Stanford. They started out against Cal State Fullerton, followed by Rice and Michigan. Now they travel to face a solid Texas team. And all Stanford has done is won games, well except for the one they lost. Texas’ schedule to start the season has been just as impressive. They certainly could use a couple of wins at home against a top 10 team in Stanford to help boost their resume before conference play. I’m interested to see if Stanford can go on the road and continue to dominate, and if Texas can get back in the national spotlight.
Cal State Fullerton at Oregon State: Fri, 5:35 pm PT (Beaver Sports Network); Sat, 1 pm PT (Beaver Sports Network); Sun 12 pm PT (Beaver Sports Network)
Continuing the theme of difficult schedules to start the season, Cal State Fullerton is right up there. The Titans haven’t handled that schedule well with just three wins, but you know the talent is there. Now they face an Oregon State team that hasn’t lost all year. The Beavers haven’t been tested, and Cal State Fullerton might be the best team we see them play until May when they play both Stanford and UCLA. We’ll see if Oregon State can continue their hot start to the season and overtake the number one spot, or if Cal State Fullerton can pick themselves up off the mat and become relevant again.
North Carolina at Louisville: Fri, 6 pm ET (ACCN); Sat, 1 pm ET (ACCN); Sun, 12 pm ET (ACCN)
As we enter conference play we’ll get more matchups like this, but the best ACC matchup this weekend is certainly North Carolina and Louisville. The Tar Heels got off to a slow start but seem to have figured things out. Meanwhile, Louisville has cruised through their non-conference schedule but haven’t really played anyone. This will be a test for both teams to see where they are on a national scale. The winner of this series will prove for the moment that they belong among the best 15 teams in the country.
Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic (TCU, Vanderbilt, UCLA and USC)
This should be a very entertaining weekend in Los Angeles with three teams ranked in the top 15 and a USC team that seems to be on the rise. The Sunday matchup between TCU and Vanderbilt is probably the best one of the weekend. But don’t sleep on UCLA – they have a chance to really elevate themselves this weekend with a couple of big wins. Vanderbilt is coming off a disappointing showing in the Shriner’s Classic, and now hope to have better luck out West. There will be a lot of talent and great teams on display here this weekend. The Pac-12 Network should be covering most of the games.
Other series to watch:
Kent State at Arkansas
Long Beach State at Texas A&M
South Alabama at Louisiana
