NCAA Super Regionals 2015: Schedule and Game Predictions for Friday's Action

The super regional phase of the 2015 NCAA Baseball Tournament kicks off with a quartet of games on Friday. There are currently 16 teams left standing in pursuit of the national title, and that number will be cut in half before the College World Series gets underway.

There are eight super regional matchups. Each one will feature a three-game series to determine which teams head for Omaha to play for the championship starting next weekend. It's a strong field, with 11 of the 16 top seeds still standing after the regional round.

Let's check out the complete schedule for the first day of super regional play, along with predictions for each contest. That's followed by a look at some notes and comments about the teams set to continue their tournament quest.

Schedule and Predictions

Time (ET)	Team	Team	Prediction
12 p.m.	(1) Miami (Fla.)	(4) VCU	5-3 Miami
4 p.m.	(3) Maryland	(3) Virginia	4-2 Virginia
4:30 p.m.	(1) Missouri State	(2) Arkansas	3-1 Arkansas
7:30 p.m.	(1) Florida State	(1) Florida	6-4 Florida

Friday Preview

The nightcap is obviously the game that stands out. The super regional round is always filled with tension because every team desperately wants a spot in the College World Series. Add in a rivalry like Florida and Florida State have across all sports, and it takes the matchup to another level.

Both teams were No. 1 seeds in their respective regions and swept through them with 3-0 records. The Gators were particularly impressive, showcasing their offensive firepower with a 19-0 trouncing of Florida A&M along the way.

Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun passed along comments from Seminoles coach Mike Martin, who states his team learned a valuable lesson earlier in the season:

VCU is the only four seed from the regional round to advance. The Rams scored a combined 12 runs in their first two games, including an upset of top seed Dallas Baptist, and then showcased their pitching strength to edge the Patriots in the deciding game, 3-1.

They will face a more difficult test from a stacked Miami squad. The Hurricanes crushed the ball during the previous round, scoring 35 runs across four games—the most notable performance being a 21-3 triumph over Columbia to punch their super regional ticket.

Matt Porter of the Palm Beach Post adds these teams don't have much history, which creates an added unknown factor heading into the series:

Arkansas has quietly reached the super regionals but certainly shouldn't be overlooked any longer. The Razorbacks showed their ability to win close games with three victories by two runs or less in the regionals. And they have star power in stud outfielder Andrew Benintendi (22 SB, 18 HR).

Missouri State also swept its three games in the previous round. It continued the team's incredible hot streak that has seen it win 19 consecutive contests. That would be impressive in any sport, but even more so in baseball, where so much relies on the next day's starting pitcher.

Matt Jones of WholeHogSports points out it hasn't been due to a weak schedule, either:

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Including the postseason, Missouri State has played 16 games this year against teams that made the NCAA Tournament and is 12-4 in those games. The Bears are 9-4 against teams from power five conferences and went 2-1 against regional host Dallas Baptist.

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Finally, the final matchup getting started on Friday is a rare battle of No. 3 seeds. Maryland advanced through a regional led by UCLA with a 2-1 win over the Bruins in the final game. Virginia went 3-0 in its regional round, which was highlighted by top seed UC Santa Barbara.

It's a rematch from last year's Charlottesville super regional. That series went three hard-fought games, and it surely wouldn't be a surprise if this one follows suit. Both sides are seemingly peaking to play their best baseball at the right time.

Michael Lananna of Baseball America was impressed with the effort from Maryland to knock out perhaps the top team in college baseball:

This half of the bracket really has it all. A terrific rivalry matchup as Florida battles Florida State, one championship long shot guaranteed to make the College World Series in either Maryland or Virginia and an underdog story in VCU.

Of course, winning Game 1 of the series is a major advantage. Along with moving one step closer to the CWS, it also gives the coaching staff a little more pitching flexibility in Game 2. Expect plenty of drama as teams battle for that early edge.