Who will pitch in Game 3?
If the series goes to three games, coach John Savage has a choice to make. Should he send sophomore starter Grant Watson to the mound after just four full days of rest or opt for a fresher option such as freshman Cody Poteet, who has yet to pitch this postseason? Working in Watson’s favor is the fact that he threw just 69 pitches in his win on Friday.
How will Mississippi State’s defense hold up?
UCLA has scored eight runs in its three CWS games, and four of them were set up by errors or wild pitches by its opponents. The Bruins have relied on their opponents’ miscues to aid their offense, and the strength of the Bulldogs’ defense could play a key role in whether the Bruins can score enough runs to win.
Will David Berg’s struggles catch up to him?
Sophomore closer David Berg is one of the best pitchers in the nation and the country’s best closer, but he has had several close calls during the CWS. He’s allowed runners to get in scoring position in all three of his appearances, nearly allowed a go-ahead home run against North Carolina State and allowed one run after loading the bases against the University of North Carolina. He’s escaped all of these jams, but will his luck run out against Mississippi State?
Which team will win the pitching battle?
Going into the CWS, UCLA and Mississippi State held the seventh- and 11th-best earned run averages in the nation, respectively. However, while the Bruins have surrendered just three runs over their three CWS games, the Bulldogs have allowed nine to score. Further pointing to a UCLA advantage is the fact that Mississippi State’s top starter, senior Kendall Graveman, just pitched on Friday and will likely be unavailable for the beginning of the series.
Can UCLA control Mississippi State’s offense?
The Bruins are no stranger to facing talented offensive teams. North Carolina scored the most runs in the nation this year, and LSU finished 9th – however, UCLA held each of those teams to just one run. Now it will face another strong hitting team in Mississippi State, which finished 31st in runs scored and ninth in hits going into the CWS. If UCLA can continue to limit its opponents’ offenses like it has this postseason, it will force Mississippi State to play UCLA’s style.