College World Series 2017: Latest Results and Updated Picks for Wednesday
Brian Howard is an intimidating figure whenever he steps on the mound for the TCU Horned Frogs. The 6'9" right-hander was at his best Tuesday when he faced the Texas A&M Aggies in the College World Series.
The power pitcher struck out 12 batters as the Horned Frogs eliminated the Aggies by handing them a 4-1 defeat at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska.
TCU will face Louisville on Thursday night in another elimination game.
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Howard, an eighth-round draft pick of the Oakland A's, struck out six of the first seven hitters he faced. He pitched into the eighth inning and didn't give up a run until the Aggies touched him for their only run of the game in the sixth inning.
Ryan Merrill homered in the third inning, and that blast touched off a rally that gave TCU control of the game.
Howard prevented the Aggies from making a comeback at any point. "I think today was probably the best stuff I had all season," Howard said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "I'm pumped I didn't walk anybody. I didn't give up any free bases. I felt like I was attacking the strike zone from the beginning, and I was able to carry that through."
Florida's Brady Singer was also on top of his game as he struck out nine in the Gators' 5-1 victory over Louisville.
The loss means the Cardinals have to fight from the loser's bracket, while Florida is now just a game away from appearing in the CWS championship round.
Singer struck out nine batters and walked just one. Florida's pitching staff has given up just one run in two CWS games.
Austin Langworthy and Deacon Liput both homered in support of Singer, who knew he had to be at his best against the hard-hitting Cardinals.
“Louisville can hit,” Singer said, per Nick Suss of seccountry.com. “There’s no doubt about it; they’ve proven it all year long. I knew I had to have the sinker working, stay on top of the ball and try to get more sink than run. I got the sinker down and it worked out all right.”
The Gators' next game is Friday, when they will face the winner of the TCU-Louisville game. If they lose that game, they will have another shot to get to the title round by beating that team the following day.
Wednesday's Game
Florida State will meet LSU in an elimination game Wednesday night at 8:00 ET, and the game will be televised by ESPN2.
LSU defeated Florida State 5-4 earlier in the tournament, but the Tigers were subsequently beaten by Oregon State.
The Seminoles bounced back from their defeat Saturday with an elimination win over Cal State Fullerton.
The Tigers will send Jared Poche to the mound, and he has an 11-3 record along with a 3.33 earned-run average. He pitched 2.2 innings against Florida State on Saturday.
The Seminoles are sending either Andrew Karp or Cole Sands to the mound. Both are high strikeout pitchers.
Shortstop Kramer Robertson has hit eight home runs and 43 runs batted in for the Tigers, while catcher Michael Papierski has blasted nine home runs with nine home runs with 35 RBI.
Dylan Busby and Quincy Nieporte of the Seminoles have combined for 25 home runs and 145 RBI this season. Poche will have to keep them in check if the Tigers are going to survive this game.
Prediction
These two teams played a tight game Saturday, and this game should also be another close battle.
The Tigers appear to have at least a small advantage on the mound since Poche has been so effective this season. Look for LSU to get an early lead and then hold off Florida State's charge in the late innings.
LSU survives and advances while the Seminoles go home.
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