NCAA Baseball Championship – Starkville Regional

STARKVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — Cincinnati (38-21) and Louisiana-Lafayette (39-24) meet Sunday afternoon in an elimination game of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship at Dudy Noble Field. The winner advances to the regional final; the loser goes home.

The Bearcats and Ragin’ Cajuns are familiar foes, having played Friday in the tournament opener. Cincinnati won that game 12-2, a decisive rout that sent Louisiana-Lafayette into the losers’ bracket. The Bearcats then lost Saturday to Mississippi State 10-5, while the Ragin’ Cajuns bounced back with a 10-4 win over Lipscomb.

Sunday’s pitching matchup features Cincinnati right-hander Logan Knight (3-2, 4.20 ERA) against a Louisiana-Lafayette bullpen likely to open after using multiple arms Saturday. Knight, who started Friday’s win and threw 3.2 scoreless innings, has been inconsistent. In his last three outings, he allowed one earned run over 3.2 innings against Mississippi State on Saturday, gave up four earned runs in 4.2 innings against Texas Tech on May 15, and threw six scoreless frames against Kansas State on May 9. His ability to limit walks will be key.

For Louisiana-Lafayette, left fielder Mark Collins is the offensive catalyst. Collins went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs in Saturday’s win over Lipscomb, but he was 0-for-4 in Friday’s loss to Cincinnati. Over his last 10 games, he has three homers and 12 RBIs, though he also has multiple hitless games. The Ragin’ Cajuns need him to produce against Knight, who held them hitless in his short outing Friday.

Cincinnati’s lineup has been opportunistic, scoring 12 runs in the first meeting. Third baseman Christian Mitchelle drove in a run Saturday, and the Bearcats have shown power throughout the season. Louisiana-Lafayette’s pitching staff struggled Friday but rebounded with a solid bullpen effort against Lipscomb.

The weather forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures near 80 degrees at first pitch. The game is scheduled for an afternoon start, with the loser eliminated from the double-elimination regional.

Interstat’s game simulator projects an 8-7 Cincinnati victory, reflecting the Bearcats’ recent offensive form and the Ragin’ Cajuns’ ability to score in bunches. Both teams have playoff experience; Cincinnati has won six of its last nine, while Louisiana-Lafayette is 7-3 in its last 10.

First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CDT.