It's hard to believe that there's just a little over a month left in the college baseball regular season.
However, as time dwindles, the action heats up, and so do our college baseball best bets. This week, we'll feature multiple ranked teams.
Let's dive into my college baseball picks and NCAA baseball best bets for the games on Friday, April 11.
Note: While parlaying these picks isn't our official recommendation, we've put together an easy way to do so below.
College Baseball Picks for Friday, April 11
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Action Network's Doug Ziefel is targeting from Friday's slate of college baseball games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6 p.m. | |
  | 6 p.m. | |
  | 6:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Louisville vs. NC State Pick
The Louisville Cardinals hit the road fresh off a midweek walk-off win over Kentucky. While Louisville would appear to be the better squad with that No. 14 ranking next to its name, the NC State Wolfpack are the favorites in this series opener for good reason.
NC State has a sizable edge on the hill with ace Dominic Fritton taking the ball. Fritton has been spectacular this season, pitching to a 2.85 ERA over eight starts.
He'll have a tough test against a Louisville lineup that ranks ninth in team batting average and 22nd in OPS, but with Fritton due for positive regression, he should be up for the task.
On the other side, Louisville's Patrick Forbes has been solid as well, but he's allowed a ton of hard contact when not producing strikeouts.
Forbes' .336 BABIP against is one of the highest on the Cardinals' staff and should point to more success for an NC State lineup that has done damage when putting the ball in play over its last seven games.
While the Wolfpack bats are a bit of a question, NC State only gets tougher on the hill. The Pack bullpen has been locked down, ranking 13th in xFIP and 18th in SIERA.
Expect NC State to contain Louisville's bats long enough for its offense to come around as it takes this series opener.
Pick: NC State ML -125
| | |
Florida State vs. Virginia Tech Pick
Next, we head to Blacksburg, Virginia, where a pitching duel is in store.
The No. 25 Virginia Tech Hokies will send ace Brett Renfrow to the mound. Renfrow has been excellent at generating weak contact, holding a 45.5% groundball rate.
Keeping the ball on the ground will be key against a Florida State lineup that ranks 17th in team batting average and 19th in OPS.
While it will be a battle for Renfrow, this under will be shouldered by Florida State starter Jamie Arnold.
Arnold is one of the best arms in the country and has continued to build his draft stock this season. Through seven starts, he holds a 2.62 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP.
We've seen him succeed against elite lineups for the past two seasons, so this road outing should become another feather in his cap.
Expect these two to minimize the scoring and keep this game under the total.
Pick: Under 12.5
| | |
Texas vs. Kentucky Pick
On Tuesday, I faded the Wildcats on the road, as their drop off at the plate has been well documented. While Kentucky emerged victorious over in-state rival Louisville, it needed extra innings to do so.
The Wildcats are just an average club at the dish, ranking 142nd in team batting average and 94th in wRC+.
They'll have to contend with Texas Longhorns ace Jared Spencer tonight.
Spencer has been dominant for Texas by generating weak contact, sporting a 53.9% groundball rate to go along with a strikeout per nine rate that sits inside the top 100 nationally.
It helps that Spencer is supported by a Longhorns lineup led by Golden Spikes candidate Max Belyeu. Belyeu and company have the Longhorns at 37th in team OPS and 51st in wRC+.
Although, like NC State, the Longhorns' bullpen only makes things harder for the Wildcats. Texas ranks third in team ERA and sixth in WHIP.
The Longhorns should be in control the whole way throughout as they continue their SEC dominance tonight.
Pick: Texas ML -135
