Well, we split the second day of the preview and projections. Arkansas made a statement as they stomped #2 Stanford 17-2 with a staggering, 21-hit performance by the offense. Connor Noland allowed a solo home run to lead off the game, but he settled in after that and had the Stanford offense rolling over ground balls and making weak contact all game long. After throwing down the gauntlet this emphatically, it is really hard to not see Arkansas as the scariest team to play in Omaha.
In the second game yesterday, Dylan Delucia shut the Auburn lineup down while his offense just got enough of the job done to comfortably win 5-1. Ole Miss looked the part of a team that was comfortable in Omaha and was well prepared. Auburn, on the other hand, looked a little tight at the plate and did not have a lot of competitive at-bats. In the end, Ole Miss stayed red hot and advanced to the winner’s bracket.
Texas vs. Texas A&M
This game will have a lot of energy as two bitter rivals meet with the chance to send each other home. After each school had an underwhelming first day in Omaha, both teams are looking to bounce back.
Texas will run Lucas Gordon on the bump today. Gordon has had a strong season with a 7-1 record with a 2.68 ERA with 76 strikeouts to 25 walks in 84 innings pitched. Much like Pete Hansen, Gordon has to bounce back from a tough outing at the Greenville Super Regional where he allowed 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks in just 4 innings.
On the mound today, Texas A&M will be turning to Micah Dallas. The junior sports a 6-3 record with a not-that-great 5.40 ERA with 83 strikeouts to 20 walks in 76.2 innings pitched this year. I have my doubts whether Dallas can tame a potent Texas lineup. In his last outing, Dallas went 4.2 innings allowing 3 runs on 8 hits and a walk to Louisville.
Just looking at the starting pitching matchup, Texas seems to have a clear advantage. Texas A&M has a slight advantage in the bullpen with depth. The Aggies need to jump on Gordon and force him from the game to flip the pitching advantage in this game. The Longhorns need Gordon to give them length.
Texas probably has the advantage offensively. The unit, led by Ivan Melendez, has the most home runs and doubles of any team in Omaha. Coming off a rough day at the office against Notre Dame’s ace, Texas needs to get right early and jump on the Aggies and use the advantage they have in the pitching matchup to their advantage.
In order for Texas A&M to win this game, a couple of the pieces that have shown strong flashes have to light it up again, and that list starts with Dylan Rock. After an unbelievable start to the postseason in the SEC Tournament and at the College Station Regional, Rock’s bat has gone quiet. He needs to get rolling to help spark this lineup and send the Longhorns packing.
I think this game will go Texas’s way, but it entirely hinges on Gordon giving them length. If the Aggies jump on him, the script can flip in a hurry.