Who does TCU play in the next round of the College World Series? A closer look at the Virginia baseball stats
We have an elimination game at the 2023 College World Series on our hands today as the TCU Horned Frogs and the seventh-seeded Virginia Cavaliers battle it out to see which team can continue their quest for the national championship. The winner continues to attempt to get out of the bracket round, while the loser is sent home and eliminated from the tournament.
What do the TCU Horned Frogs have to be on the lookout for when facing off against the Virginia Cavaliers? Let's take a look at their roster and figure it out.
What will the Virginia pitching staff be able to do here?
The Virginia bullpen struggled in their first-round matchup against the second-seed Florida Gators, as they allowed six runs on nine hits with six walks and only three strikeouts as a team. Nick Parker was the starting pitcher and kept his team in the game but the bullpen imploded in the later innings as they gave up five runs in the last three innings to lose.
Expect Jake Berry to not be available as he threw 46 pitches in the game but every other bullpen arm threw less than 15 pitches. This team has had the fourth-best ERA throughout the season at 3.81 so they should be in a great spot here.
What will the Virginia lineup be able to do against the TCU pitchers?
These Cavalier hitters did well in their first-round game, as they were able to produce five runs on eight hits with four walks and eight strikeouts. They finished with three extra-base hits (two doubles and one triple) throughout the game as well. Shortstop Griff O'ferrall was the only Cavalier to record multiple hits or RBIs as he finished 2-for-5 with a run scored and a pair of RBIs in the game.
This Cavaliers lineup leads NCAA Division I baseball with a .334 team batting average and 171 doubles. They can really do a number on an opposing pitching staff and make things tough to pitch to. Virginia is a heavy favorite to make it out of this game with a victory, as they controlled most of their first-round game on Friday.
This Cavaliers team needs to figure out how to close out games if they want their season to continue. Expect a lot of runs to be scored and a ton of baserunners to make this game interesting, with a lot on the line.