College World Series 2016: Bracket Predictions, Start Time for Thursday Schedule

The intensity at this year's College World Series continues to grow as teams fight to keep their national championship dreams alive. 

Matchup	Start Time (ET)	Location	Network
No. 5 Texas Tech vs. Coastal Carolina	8 p.m.	TD Ameritrade Park	ESPN 2

Thursday won't be any different as Coastal Carolina and Texas Tech square off in a bracket two elimination game. Coastal Carolina was an offensive force during the regular season—leading the nation with 94 home runs—but its only managed three runs through two games in Omaha. 

Texas Tech is looking to avoid going the way of Florida. Both teams came to Omaha with high aspirations after ending the regular season ranked in the top 10 nationally. The Gators have already left Omaha after losing their first two games, including Tuesday's elimination game against Texas Tech. 

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

Prediction

Coastal Carolina's offense needs to get back on track. The Chanticleers scored 32 runs in six games between the regionals and super regionals, but have been held in check through two games against Florida and TCU. 

The dimensions at TD Ameritrade Park are not conducive to putting up big offensive numbers the way Coastal Carolina is used to, per NCAA.com:

"

From home plate to straight-away center is 408 feet. It’s 335 feet down the lines and 375 feet to left and right center, with a symmetrical fence design from pole to pole. Those field dimensions are the same as they were at Rosenblatt Stadium. All the way around, the fence is eight feet tall. 

"

By comparison, TicketReturn.com Field in Myrtle Beach—the Chanticleers' home ballpark—is 308 feet down the left-field line and 328 feet down the right-field line. Power is much easier to come by in that stadium than the spacious venue in Omaha. 

Coastal Carolina's offense is not one-dimensional, though, which makes its brief two-game struggle more puzzling. 

Aaron Fitt of D1Baseball.com broke down the speed element the Chanticleers boast on their roster:

"

Billy Cooke is the only true burner among Coastal’s regulars, but this lineup is loaded with aggressive, intelligent baserunners who like to push the action with their speed, helping them rank among the nation’s top 10 in stolen bases. Cooke (26-for-32), [Seth] Lancaster (15-for-17), [Connor] Owings (14-for-15), [Zach] Remillard (14-for-16) and [Anthony] Marks (14-for-20) are all capable of stealing a base at any time, and they do it at an impressive success rate.

"

Speed and the ability to take extra bases are the easiest paths to scoring runs at TD Ameritrade Park. Coastal Carolina collected six extra-base hits in a 2-1 win over Florida, but only had two against TCU. 

That puts the onus on Coastal Carolina's pitching staff. Head coach Gary Gilmore did use starter Bobby Holmes in relief for 30 pitches on Tuesday, so his availability for Thursday could be limited. 

Texas Tech hasn't been lighting it up offensively either with six runs in two games. Yet if any team has the potential to breakout in this park from a malaise, it's the Red Raiders because five regulars have an on-base percentage of at least .400. 

The bullpen has been Texas Tech's friend this year thanks largely to Hayden Howard and Robert Dugger, who both had ERAs under 3.00 in a combined 142.4 innings coming into the NCAA tournament.

Coastal Carolina needs to get games to closer Mike Morrison, who has a 1.18 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 61 innings. He's the only primary reliever on the team with an ERA under 2.00, though Andrew Beckwith also has dominant stuff if Gilmore wants to use him as a bridge to Morrison. 

Texas Tech is a more talented team with more ways to win a game.

Coastal Carolina's lineup packs a wallop and has the speed to create all sorts of problems for opponents if it can get guys on base, which has not happened consistently this week. 

The Red Raiders will keep this a low-scoring effort with their pitching staff, and the offense will do enough to give the bullpen a lead late and secure a rematch with TCU on Friday. 

Texas Tech 4, Coastal Carolina 2

Stats per NCAA.com, GoCCUSports.com and TexasTech.com.