FSU baseball: Noles matchup better with UConn or Oklahoma for Super Regionals?
By Kelvin Hunt
![FSU baseball head coach Link Jarrett speaks to media following the Seminoles 15-5 win over Butler on Feb. 18, 2024. FSU baseball head coach Link Jarrett speaks to media following the Seminoles 15-5 win over Butler on Feb. 18, 2024.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3672,h_2065,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/270/01hzfa34hm3w9r26zfvy.jpg)
FSU baseball will take on the winner of UConn/Oklahoma in the Oklahoma regional. The teams will play Monday night in a winner-take-all all and move on to the Super Regionals in Tallahassee. Oklahoma is the No. 9 overall seed and No. 1 seed in that regional, and UConn is the No. 3 seed. Which would be the better matchup for FSU? Oklahoma is the No. 9 overall seed for a reason, but the regionals have shown you can't take lower seeds for granted. No. 4 seed Stetson beat No. 2 seed Alabama in the Tallahassee Regional, and we've seen lower seeds knock off higher seeds across the board. From an offensive and pitching standpoint:
Oklahoma | UConn |
---|---|
Batting Average- .312 | Batting Average- .274 |
On-Base Percentage- .413 | On-Base Percentage- .374 |
Home Runs- 73 | Home Runs- 83 |
Slugging Percentage- .505 | Slugging Percentage- .466 |
Oklahoma hitters strike out in 20 percent of their at-bats. UConn hitters strikeout in 22 percent. Both teams show aggression on the bases, Oklahoma has 93 steals in 120 attempts. UConn has 79 steals on 107 attempts. Oklahoma scored 491 runs in 60 games, and UConn scored 373 in 58.
Oklahoma | UConn |
---|---|
ERA- 5.04 | ERA- 4.83 |
WHIP- 1.48 | WHIP- 1.44 |
Strikeouts- 556 (524.2 innings) | Strikeouts- 528 (501.1 innings) |
Batting Average Against- .252 | Batting Average Against- .258 |
The numbers below are before the regional, and why they are different that what I have posted here. UConn is very similar to UCF and Oklahoma is similar to Alabama.
OKLAHOMA pic.twitter.com/MyU5PIIcib
— College Baseball Nation (@CollegeBallNat) May 29, 2024
UConn may have a slight edge pitching-wise. They have a higher strikeout-to-walk ratio and allow less traffic on the bases overall. Both teams rely on two main starters, but Oklahoma seems to have more guys capable of starting a third game if needed. They also seem to have a deeper bullpen with experienced players.
Defensively, UConn holds an advantage with a .978 fielding percentage (44 errors in 1,978 chances). Oklahoma has a .968 fielding percentage (68 errors in 2,136 chances). UConn turned 35 double plays to Oklahoma's 31. Oklahoma has thrown out 36 percent (39 of 108) of would-be base stealers, and UConn checked in at 32 percent(17 of 53).
I think FSU matches up well with either team. Oklahoma is the better offensive team, and UConn has the better pitching overall. However, UConn doesn't seem to have the depth Oklahoma has. Monday night's game will be Oklahoma's sixth in the regional and UConn's fourth. I think that's a testament to Oklahoma's depth. One final stat, UConn is 16-16 on the road, and Oklahoma is 14-5.
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