College World Series 2015: TV Schedule and Pick for UVA vs. Vanderbilt Game 3
For the second straight year, Virginia and Vanderbilt are headed to a decisive third game to determine which powerhouse will reign supreme as champions of college baseball.
Following a 5-1 loss to the Commodores Monday night, the Cavaliers bounced back with a 3-0 victory Tuesday evening to stretch the series the distance.
Now faced with a chance at redemption following last year's 2-1 series loss in the final to Vanderbilt, Virginia will try to thwart some demons as it seeks to dethrone Vanderbilt.
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On the flip side, a Vanderbilt win would make the Commodores the seventh team in NCAA baseball history to capture back-to-back national championships, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).
Prior to examining players under the spotlight in Wednesday's finale, here's a quick rundown of where and when you can catch the action.
| Wednesday, June 24 | Virginia vs. Vanderbilt | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Thomas Woodruff, INF/OF, Virginia
Better late than never.
Virginia utility man Thomas Woodruff finally broke out in Game 2 of the championship series, as NCAA Baseball's Twitter noted following the Cavaliers' victory:
The senior drove in two of Virginia's three runs Tuesday evening, which was nearly half of the RBI total (five) he posted in 51 at-bats over 37 games through June 21. Woodruff's three hits Tuesday night also represented 20 percent of his total production (15) this season.
Woodruff hasn't been used for his offense much—tallying 67 at-bats over the past four years prior to Tuesday, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com)—but his hot bat could be a boon for a Virginia team that hasn't scored more than five runs since the start of Super Regional play June 5.
Walker Buehler, RHP, Vanderbilt
After going up 1-0 on Virginia in the College World Series final a year ago, Vanderbilt dropped Game 2. So in that sense, this is familiar territory for right-handed twirler Walker Buehler and the Commodores.
They know how to combat adversity, and if last season was any indication, they should have the fortitude to do so again in Game 3.
Buehler—who was selected 24th overall in this year's MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers—is expected to take the mound for the season's final showdown. The soon-to-be 21-year-old is 5-2 this season and was last seen allowing four hits and a run while striking out eight as Vanderbilt sent TCU home, 7-1, and advanced to the CWS final.
The bad news for Virginia? Buehler looked positively dominant in that outing.
"He filled the strike zone early and often," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said after the win, according to the Associated Press' Eric Olson (via Kentucky.com). "Six of the most impressive innings I've seen him pitch."
Despite Tuesday's Game 2 win, Virginia's bats have hardly been steady. It will take a miraculous performance to solve Buehler and a Vanderbilt pitching staff that has allowed a grand total of five runs over its last four games.
Brandon Waddell, LHP, Virginia
Opposing Buehler will be Virginia's Brandon Waddell, according to the Daily Progress' Andrew Ramspacher.
A 2014 Third-Team All-ACC honoree, Waddell has struggled a bit this season. In 18 appearances, he's posted a 4-5 record and a 4.02 ERA.
But those numbers aren't indicative of Waddell's ability to thrive under pressure.
Facing elimination in last year's College World Series, Waddell took the mound and kept the Cavaliers' hopes alive temporarily with a stellar Game 2 performance. In a complete-game effort, Waddell allowed just five hits and surrendered three walks. Over the course of the 2014 NCAA tournament, he compiled a 3-0 record to go with a 1.59 ERA.
In other words, discounting him entirely would be a mistake.
The junior's body of work admittedly isn't as polished as Buehler's, but if we're using recent history as a guide, he should give Virginia a chance against the defending champions.
It's going to take more than one strong performance on the mound to silence Vanderbilt, though. With more reliable bats and a deeper arsenal of arms, the Commodores remain the favorites to emerge as 2015 College World Series champions.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 4, Virginia 2
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