College World Series 2015: Bracket Predictions, Start Times for Sunday Schedule
Regular-season Coaches' Poll No. 1 LSU headlines Sunday's 2015 College World Series play, which will see four of the eight remaining teams close out the first weekend of baseball at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Bayou Bengals square off against a dangerous TCU squad to begin the day's play, followed by a contest between Big West powerhouse Cal State Fullerton and Vanderbilt, led by 2015 MLB Draft No. 1 pick Dansby Swanson at shortstop.
Arkansas, Florida, Miami and Virginia are all in play Saturday.
This round of the CWS is of the double-elimination variety, so Sunday's slate is not a set of do-or-die propositions. That shouldn't make the action any less intense or the tension less palpable, as the losers will see their championship hopes hanging by a waxed red thread.
Here's the Sunday schedule and viewing info, followed by a preview for the matchup of the day.
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| 3 p.m. | LSU vs. TCU | ESPN | ESPN3/WatchESPN | LSU 3-2 TCU |
| 8 p.m. | CSU Fullerton vs. Vanderbilt | ESPN2 | ESPN3/WatchESPN | Vandy 5-3 CSU Fullerton |
Note: Live streams of Sunday's games can be found at ESPN3.com.
Game to Watch
LSU vs. TCU
LSU coach Paul Mainieri has been coy about whether he'll trot out freshman sensation Alex Lange or Jared Poche on Sunday.
Poche has allowed just one run in NCAA Tournament play, while Lange has been one of the best pitchers in college baseball, sporting an 11-0 record with a 1.89 ERA.
"One or the other" has been Mainieri's stock answer, per the Advocate's Scott Rabalais. However, it seems he's finally made a decision, opting to go with the lefty Poche on Sunday, per KLFY.com's George Faust. Considering his recent performances, offense will likely be at a premium for the Horned Frogs.
TCU's standout hitter is senior outfielder Cody Jones, who's hitting .371. They will likely look to him to spark the offense, while freshman catcher Evan Skoug is the main power threat, with seven home runs and 44 RBI on the season. Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News notes he's also been commanding a high-quality pitching staff.
"By nature, Skoug is a take-charge guy. He was also inheriting a staff with high-quality arms, validated by six major league draft picks this week, including five in the first nine rounds."
According to Faust, Skoug will be handling senior right-hander Preston Morrison on Sunday. Morrison boasts an 11-3 record with a 2.55 ERA and .223 batting average against, per GoFrogs.com. As NCAA Baseball notes, he's capable of ironman performances:
The Tigers have just one big offensive game in the NCAA tournament, a 10-3 opening win over Lehigh. Since then, they've put up a respectable 14 runs in four games. Eight batters boast averages over .300, per LSUSports.Net, topped by Andrew Stevenson (.356).
However, Stevenson went 0-for-8 in two super regional games against Louisiana-Lafayette; if he can get his swing together in the back half of LSU's lineup, the Tigers should be able to string enough hits together to knock around Morrison.
This one is going to be a nail-biter, but look for LSU to pull ahead in the later innings for a slim one-run victory.
Prediction: LSU 3-2 TCU
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