Texas vs. East Carolina Odds
Texas vs. East Carolina Probable Pitchers & Projections
- Friday: Pete Hansen (Texas) vs. Josh Grosz (East Carolina) | Texas -340 · Total: 10.4
- Saturday: C.J. Mayhue (East Carolina) vs. Lucas Gordon (Texas) | Texas -220 · Total 8.8
- Sunday (if needed): Travis Sthele (Texas) vs. Jake Kuchmaner (East Carolina)
The seventh time may be a charm for East Carolina baseball. After participating in nearly three dozen Regionals and six Super Regionals in program history, the Pirates have yet to make it to Omaha.
East Carolina survived as host this past weekend after taking a 2-0 record to Sunday night before a 9-1 loss to Coastal Carolina. Jake Kuchmaner was hammered for three earned runs before an exit after recording just two outs as the starter.
Carter Spivey took the mound Monday in a high-pressure spot for the senior, who had not started a game since late February against Campbell. Spivey went five innings, allowing just two earned runs and giving the Pirates a chance to light up the scoreboard for the victory.
Carter Spivey and the boys are juiced up pic.twitter.com/2KV82ICT1J
— American Baseball (@American_BSB) June 6, 2022
Texas played host in a quick three-game set that included two wins against fourth-seeded Air Force.
A Saturday shutdown against Louisiana Tech gave the Longhorns a sweat-free weekend, keeping most of the bullpen fresh with starters Pete Hansen throwing 113 pitches on Friday and Lucas Gordon hurling 93 on Saturday.
Now, the top defensive team in the nation will travel to Greenville looking for its 11th appearance in Omaha since 2000.
East Carolina must dominate with pitching after posting ranks outside the top 100 in home runs per nine, on-base percentage and slugging percentage against the 36th-ranked strength of schedule.
Another pressing matter is the Pirates' rank against the top teams in the country, as their win over Virginia on Saturday was just their second this season against a team in the RPI top 50.
For the home team to survive, taking a game from Hansen or Gordon is a must. A Sunday matchup with Travis Sthele and a fresh glue-guy in Spivey would put East Carolina in the driver's seat.
Spivey leads the team with a 2.43 ERA and eight wins, but has started just two games this season.
Using base runs and FIP to calculate daily projections, Texas has a 53% chance to close this series out in two games. Those odds severely decrease if East Carolina is able to get past Hansen or Gordon.
While Kuchmaner has been limited since returning to the staff, a projection with Spivey increases the Pirates’ odds. Gordon and Hansen give the Horns a 74% chance of closing this out but make the total series price closer to -240.
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Picks: Texas -170 (Play to -240)
