7 storylines we ll be following at the Shriners College Classic
7 storylines we'll be following at the Shriners College Classic NCAA.com
Tickets are on sale now: — Houston Astros (@astros)
Wendzel smacked out two home runs and Downey had a pair of s and finished the game with three hits. — NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) As a team, Baylor is posting a top 5 slash line of .375/.469/.584. While the starting pitching as a whole hasn’t been as impressive as the hitting, Hayden Kettler has been able to set the tone, yet to allow a run across his first two starts while striking out 17 in his first 13 innings. The expected Kettler vs. Doxakis matchup to open the Shriner’s Classic may be the best pitching matchup of the weekend.
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS)
One thing we know is that opposing pitchers should avoid Joe Davis right now. The senior first baseman is the heart of the offense, with seven of his nine hits going for extra bases, including four home runs. On the bump, Fred Villarreal is showing he may be one of the more valuable bullpen pieces in college baseball, making three solid appearances thus far in 2019. We’ll see right off the bat if Houston can continue its successful run against ranked teams, facing TCU on opening night.
CHAMPS
PRESENTED BY The 19th annual Shriners College Classic is set to commence Friday, March 1. It will be an all-Texas college baseball affair at Minute Maid Park in Houston, as No. 15 Baylor, No. 18 TCU, Texas A&M, Houston, Texas State, and Rice prepare to face off. The action can be streamed on . RANKINGS: So, what will we be watching this weekend? Powerhouse programs will face off THIS weekend at MMP for the 2019 !Tickets are on sale now: — Houston Astros (@astros)
Can Texas A& M continue its hot start
The Aggies are off to an 8-2 start and have made some history along the way, becoming the first SEC school to reach the 2,700-win plateau on Feb. 20. ALL-TIME NINES, SEC: Texas A&M has had the luxury of playing all ten of their games at home at Blue Bell Park against unranked competition. They now head to Minute Maid Park and open the Shriners Classic against No. 15 Baylor and No. 18 TCU for their first big tests of the season. John Doxakis has made two impressive Friday night starts, allowing just four hits and no earned runs with 20 strikeouts to just two walks in his first 13 innings. He’ll have to be at his best against a Baylor lineup that is in the top 5 of most statistical categories. The Aggies suffered a minor setback in a mid-week loss to Incarnate Word but can get right back on track in Houston.Can Baylor s bats be slowed down
The Bears lineup is rolling right now, sitting at 8-0 while scoring 10 or more runs in each of their last four games. That’s more impressive when you realize they are doing it without injured All-American catcher Shea Langeliers. Instead, it’s been Davis Wendzel and Davion Downey leading the charge. Wendzel has been borderline ridiculous, registering at least one hit in each of his first eight games for a .516 batting average. He hit his first two home runs of the season in the same game his last time out. Downey is hitting .481 with a team-best three home runs and also went 3-for-3 with two homers against Dallas Baptist on Tuesday. The bats were in Waco last night!Wendzel smacked out two home runs and Downey had a pair of s and finished the game with three hits. — NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) As a team, Baylor is posting a top 5 slash line of .375/.469/.584. While the starting pitching as a whole hasn’t been as impressive as the hitting, Hayden Kettler has been able to set the tone, yet to allow a run across his first two starts while striking out 17 in his first 13 innings. The expected Kettler vs. Doxakis matchup to open the Shriner’s Classic may be the best pitching matchup of the weekend.
How will TCU fare in its second big tournament of the season
TCU opened up 2019 in the preseason top 25 for the 10th consecutive season. The Horned Frogs took that ranking to the inaugural MLB4 Collegiate Baseball Tournament. While they opened up the season on the wrong side of a 2-0 shutout to nationally-ranked Cal State Fullerton, they caught everyone’s attention by handling No. 1 Vanderbilt in an impressive 10-2 victory. So, what can we expect from TCU in its second tourney of the season? There were plenty of question marks surrounding the new look lineup with five big names to replace. Thus far, seniors Johnny Rizer and Josh Watson are off to hot starts, helping to answer those questions. Rizner is batting a team-high .429, helping the offense not miss much of a beat, at least yet. The starting pitching is where there was a sense of stability with Nick Lodolo and Jared Janczak anchoring the rotation, but it hasn’t gone exactly that way. Lodolo has looked good, suffering two tough-luck losses, but Janczak has been hit hard in his first two starts, only lasting a combined 6.1 innings while allowing six runs. Without any ranked teams on its slate in Houston, maybe this is where Lodolo and Janczak can find their groove and really make TCU a more balanced attack. ALL-TIME NINES, WILD WEST:Is Houston back on track
The Cougars opened the season in rather exciting fashion walking it off in the ninth in each of their first two games. They then dropped two in a row in extra innings before No. 24 Arizona came to town. Houston took two of three and look ready for the tough Shriners slate ahead. HOUSTON you are cleared for launch... leaves his feet and robs a HOME RUN!— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS)
One thing we know is that opposing pitchers should avoid Joe Davis right now. The senior first baseman is the heart of the offense, with seven of his nine hits going for extra bases, including four home runs. On the bump, Fred Villarreal is showing he may be one of the more valuable bullpen pieces in college baseball, making three solid appearances thus far in 2019. We’ll see right off the bat if Houston can continue its successful run against ranked teams, facing TCU on opening night.