Heading into today’s games, I am 5-3 with my picks thanks to a 4-0 day yesterday. I am going to try and keep the hot streak with a 2-0 day for these elimination games this afternoon and evening. Today’s games should be very fun to watch as they are both rematches of games we witnessed just two days ago. Now that all four of these teams have played multiple games in Hoover, there should be no excuse or any of these teams to not show up ready to play. The losers of these games will go home, but I think all of the remaining teams will find a spot in the College World Series (CWS) in June. One of the biggest disappointments of this year’s tournament are the Mississippi State Bulldogs that went 0-2 in the tournament, and both of their losses were by double digit runs. Although I think they are still locked in for the CWS, they had an embarrassing showing in Hoover that will definitely hurt their seeding in the CWS.
Game 1: #10 Alabama Crimson Tide vs #2 Tennessee Volunteers
Alabama found a way to squeeze out a 3-2 win in 11 innings over the Volunteers in their meeting a couple days ago, but that was Tennessee’s first game of the tournament. While Alabama has looked like a quality team throughout their tournament run, I think that their run will come to an end against the Volunteers. I believe that Tennessee will be actively seeking revenge against the Crimson Tide, especially because of the calls that kept Alabama in the game during their first matchup. I fully expect the Volunteers to come out with red hot bats that are going to carry over from their 12-2 stomping of Mississippi State yesterday. Alabama ran into a buzz saw in the Florida Gators, as the Gators are 3-0 and none of their games have really been close. Their lowest margin of victory is 4-1 in the opening game of the tournament, which is still a comfortable win. Sadly, Alabama is going to run into another buzz saw in Tennessee, and I do not see them advancing past the Volunteers to make it to the semifinals. I’ll take Tennessee to win this one 8-4, but Alabama has most likely solidified a spot in the CWS with their amazing performance in Hoover.
Game 2: #5 Ole Miss Rebels vs #4 Vanderbilt Commodores
This matchup is almost guaranteed to lead to a great game, as Vanderbilt won the meeting two days ago via two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Vanderbilt played a really close game with Arkansas yesterday, but they just could not get anything going in the latter innings to catch up to the Razorbacks. The Commodores and Rebels are high quality teams, but one of them will have to head home after tonight’s affair. Although Ole Miss has looked good throughout the tournament, I think Vanderbilt is destined to make the semifinals in Hoover tomorrow. This game is definitively going to be a close contest, and I think it will be relatively low scoring compared to some of the other games in the tournament. Both teams’ pitching and defense have looked solid, and they can both hit the ball relatively well. Ultimately, I think Vanderbilt will make a surge late in the ballgame that will pole vault them over the finish line and knock Ole Miss out of the tournament. I’ll take Vanderbilt in a nail-biter: 4-3. Ole Miss had a respectable run in the tournament, but they have had to play one of the best teams in the tournament in half of their games.
Both of these matchups should be very fun to watch, and you never know what could happen in Hoover. I cannot wait to see what the matchups will be for the semifinals tomorrow, as we are in for a fun few days as this tournament comes to a close on Sunday.