It's Valentine's Day, and all who love baseball get to rejoice as the first pitch of the 2025 college baseball regular season is set to be delivered today.
Aces are wild on Opening Day, and we're going to be backing plenty of them — but all of the unknowns of the new season present value that likely will be corrected after a few series.
Let's capitalize on it in our college baseball picks and best bets for Friday, Feb. 14.
College Baseball Picks for Friday, Feb. 14
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 3 p.m. | |
  | 4 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Find more college baseball content on our NCAA Baseball page throughout the season. | ||
Nebraska +100 vs. UC Irvine
3 p.m. ET · MLB.com
The Nebraska Cornhuskers open the season as underdogs to the No. 24 UC Irvine Anteaters in the first game of the MLB Desert Invitational.
The Anteaters are a solid squad with a ton of talent, headlined by first baseman Anthony Martinez, who's been named to the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List. However, Martinez is expected to miss the opening weekend with a hamstring issue.
UC Irvine also begins the year with a true question mark on the mound, as Danny Suarez prepares to take the ball. Suarez has made only 16 appearances in his three collegiate seasons, and he's dealt with multiple injuries.
He has to contend with an experienced Nebraska lineup that boasts two of the nation's top 100 outfielders, according to D1Baseball. This veteran lineup put up 6.8 runs per game last season and is sure to test Suarez early.
The Cornhuskers have the edge on the mound as well with Mason McConnaughey taking the bump. McConnaughey was excellent as a freshman, pitching to a 3.45 ERA and 29.5% strikeout percentage over 17 outings.
McConaughey proved he can step up against elite competition. In fact, his performance helped the Cornhuskers reach an NCAA Regional in 2024.
Without Martinez, a new-look Anteaters lineup shouldn't prove to be much of a threat.
Back the Cornhuskers to pull off the upset.
Arizona -110 vs. Ole Miss
4 p.m. ET · FloCollege
The Arizona Wildcats are set to start their inaugural Big 12 season off with a bang.
Their lineup has depth, with junior shortstop Mason White and outfielder Brendan Summerhill leading the way. The duo hit .305 and .324, respectively, and combined for 27 homers and 124 RBIs in 2024.
The Wildcats will be a tough assignment for Hunter Elliott, who's set to get the ball for the Ole Miss Rebels.
Elliot is a question mark coming into the 2025 season. He was a star in 2022, pitching to a 2.70 ERA in 12 starts on the way to a national title, but was clobbered in his only two starts of 2023 and hasn't pitched since after dealing with multiple injuries.
On the other side of this matchup, Arizona's new starting rotation will be headed by Baylor transfer Collin McKinney.
McKinney showed plenty of flashes at Baylor. It's also worth noting that his 6.70 ERA as a freshman is deceiving. His 4.35 SIERA is more indicative of his potential success, and he had an offseason in the Wildcats' brand-new pitching lab, which should lower his ERA significantly.
Not to mention, the 'Cats are going to shorten games with the back end of their bullpen. Tony Pluta and Casey Hintz both find themselves on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List.
As usual, the Rebels' lineup has plenty of talent, but this matchup will be new for many of the bats. They boast the No. 4 freshman class in the country and have 10 transfers with Mitchell Sanford (New Orleans) and Isaac Humphrey (Louisville) leading the way.
However, the edge in this matchup goes to the Wildcats, who are poised to compete for a Big 12 title. Meanwhile, the Rebels look like a team that will be on the outside looking in when the season wraps up in the SEC.
Take Arizona to snag a big season-opening win.
