It's officially May. This is where teams have to start putting on their big boy pants and decide if they have what it takes to prove to the committee what their worth is. We only have a few weeks left in the regular season, so each series is hyper critical. There's a lot on the line, especially with this series I'm highlighting.
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Mississippi State Bulldogs (+124) at Texas Longhorns (-160) | Total: 8
Probably the best and most crucial series of this weekend's slate features two SEC powerhouses with legitimate chances of winning the whole thing. It's not just a big litmus test, but may have a domino effect on how the seedings workout for a lot of other teams for the tournament. Additionally, each of these teams are sitting at 11 SEC wins, and are just a short two away from UGA, so this will have a massive impact on the SEC standings and potential winner.
A huge reason why this particular game is great and made the highlight is because of the pitching. Each squad is throwing a stud lefty on Friday night. Texas is going back to the star Dylan Volantis in his first year breakout as a starter. Behind a stellar 2.06 ERA, 80 L: 17 BB ratio in 56.2 IP, opponents are hitting just .193 against him. The 6-foot-6 lefty has him been carving offenses up all year with that devastating wipeout 10-4 curveball. A projected top pick in 2027, Volantis has been money in his last three outings, allowing just four earned runs over 17.2 IP, while striking 29 batters to only three walks.
He'll have to contend with a strong Bulldogs lineup hitting .314 on the year with 76 homers. The big turnaround with Brian O'Connor coming in to coach this team has resulted in a big leap for several players. Bryce Chance is one of them, currently pacing the team with a .354 average and 15 doubles. Of course, we can't forget one of the best players in the country in Ace Reese and his 15 blasts while hitting to the tune of .318. Mississippi State has some serious firepower, but most of them are lefties. Volantis is a nightmare to lefty hitters, so the matchup looks like one he can win.
The other side features a big-time UVA transfer in Tomas Valincius, who came over with Coach O'Connor. Valincius is another big name to watch in the 2027 draft, especially as a southpaw. He's earned his stripes this year after making the leap to the Friday role with the injury to Ryan McPherson. All this dude has to show for it is a 2.13 ERA and 87 K: 14 BB ratio across 63.1 IP. He'll also have to contend with another talented offense that's produced very similar to his own. Aiden Robbins is hitting the cover off the ball with 18 homers and a .357 average. Carson Tinney is red-hot with 16 homers and a .338 average, while freshman Anthony Pack leads the team with a .362 average and 16 stolen bases.
Texas and Mississippi State were both preseason Omaha 8 picks for me, so it's obviously a difficult call. But I can't go against my guy Volantis at home in a game one. I like Texas on Friday and in the series, but strap in because it's going to be electric.
