Troy reaches – Troy baseball’s sudden surge—winning the Gainesville Regional vs. Florida to reach super regionals—sets up a weekend where one player could swing each best-of-three series toward the College World Series. From Georgia’s Daniel Jackson to West Virginia’s Maxx Y
Troy didn’t just win the Gainesville Regional against Florida. It did it with a late-turning momentum that left the host stunned and a No. 8-ranked team looking unprepared—enough to send Troy advancing to super regionals for the next round of the NCAA baseball tournament.
The Trojans’ run matters beyond the scoreboard. Win two games, and you’re headed to Omaha. And with the West Virginia/Cal Poly winner and the Troy/Little Rock winner set to make their College World Series debuts. the weekend carries a different kind of pressure: not just to win. but to do it in a way that changes what happens next for the program.
Super regionals re-rank the bracket after upsets, with the NCAA baseball tournament continuing this weekend at eight sites. The USA TODAY Network will provide comprehensive super regionals coverage this weekend with reporters at seven of the eight sites.
The weekend’s matchups line up like a list of possibilities. but beat writers have narrowed attention to the one performer who could tilt each series—either by delivering in tight late innings. taking over when an offense goes quiet. or stabilizing the pitching when the schedule stops forgiving mistakes.
In Athens, Georgia vs. Mississippi State is framed around Georgia’s bullpen and lineup variables. Georgia pitcher Matt Scott—described as a Stanford transfer—pitched five shutout. one-hit innings in relief in a regional win against Liberty. The next question is whether Scott becomes the answer again if starter Dylan Vigue continues to struggle. or whether he’s forced into a larger role by circumstance. Another Georgia key is outfielder Daniel Jackson. whose importance spikes because Tre Phelps is suspended for Game 1 between Mississippi State and Georgia. Jackson. listed as the SEC Player of the Year. will need to be at the top of his game. because without Phelps early. the Georgia offense could be in trouble.
A similar “who flips the switch” theme runs through Tuscaloosa, Alabama vs. St. John’s—where one player’s ability to do both damage at the plate and work defensively is positioned as the difference-maker when games tighten up. Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron is presented as the postseason bat—and glove—Alabama can lean on. because he has already proven he can deliver in high-pressure moments and stretch innings with one swing. With Alabama’s offense often needing a spark. Lebron is the player most likely to tilt the super regional when everything gets tense.
In Auburn, the series carries its own warning label. Two writers point to catcher Chase Fralick as the man who can keep Ole Miss from settling in. Fralick caught all 45 innings of Auburn’s regional contests and drove the Tigers offense with a program record six home runs and 15 RBIs. and the framing is direct: for Auburn to outlast Ole Miss. it needs offense. and Fralick is the man for the job. Another view is even more specific—Fralick hit a home run in each game of the regional. and had two in one game—meaning Ole Miss pitchers must be careful with his hot bat.
From Texas to Oregon, the swing of momentum in late innings is the focus. Oregon DH Naulivou Lauaki Jr. is spotlighted as someone the Pacific Northwest has only glimpsed when healthy. The redshirt freshman is listed at 6-5. 265 pounds. hit his first home run of the season on April 8. and has produced 14 total hits in 27 games since. across 125 plate appearances. The late-innings angle is emphasized as well: Lauaki has a penchant for putting games away with late-inning homers in Eugene. knocking out Yale and Washington State.
At Chapel Hill, North Carolina vs. USC circles back to the ace question. UNC starting pitcher Jason DeCaro is described as the Tar Heels’ key—if UNC is going to get to Omaha. it needs DeCaro’s best. The junior righty has not made it out of the fourth inning in his past two starts. allowing six runs and five walks across seven innings. The series becomes partly a test of whether he can reverse that recent trend when every inning gets heavier.
Lawrence brings a different kind of burden: offense staying consistent across swings. Kansas INF/OF Tyson LeBlanc is identified as the Lawrence Regional’s most outstanding player. while also being named to the all-regional team at shortstop. The appeal is straightforward—if he can keep playing at the level he’s been playing at. he can help lead KU to a super regional title. For Oklahoma. the emphasis lands on catcher Deiten Lachance and the question he has to answer with his bat: can Oklahoma’s bats stay hot?. Lachance hit only four home runs during the first three months of the season. but has hit 10 in the past month. placing him at the center of the Sooners’ lineup.
Morgantown is where a pitching bounce-back story takes center stage. West Virginia LHP Maxx Yehl—Big 12 Pitcher of the Year—is said to have rebounded from a rough first outing in the regional vs. Kentucky. In the Mountaineers’ regional final win June 1, Yehl threw five innings of one-run ball. His season numbers are laid out as the baseline: 8-2 with a 2.12 ERA, with 101 strikeouts in 85 innings.
And then there’s Troy, the team that made Florida feel the shock first. In the Troy Super Regional, Troy vs. Little Rock, the spotlight falls on Troy C/UTIL Jabe Boroff, who is coming off a big week in Gainesville. The details are specific: Boroff went 10-of-20 with 12 RBIs and six runs scored. He went hitless in the loss to Miami, but woke up as the Trojans won four straight.
Taken together, the matchups read like a weekend built on narrow margins. Every series points to a player who either has to replace missing production early, keep an offense dangerous late, or stabilize the innings when a team can’t afford another fourth-inning mistake.
The super regionals schedule sets the pace for those decisions. with all games part of the NCAA baseball tournament continuing this weekend at eight sites. Games will be broadcast by the ESPN Family of Networks. Streaming options for the games include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service. Another streaming option for the best-of-three series includes Fubo. which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Athens Super Regional features Game 1: No. 3 Georgia vs No. 14 Mississippi State at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 6 on ESPN; Game 2 at Noon ET on Sunday, June 7 on ESPN; and Game 3 (if necessary) with time TBD.
Chapel Hill Super Regional has Game 1: No. 5 North Carolina vs USC at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, June 5 on ESPN2; Game 2 at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 6 on ESPN2; and Game 3 (if necessary) with time TBD.
Austin Super Regional sets Game 1: No. 6 Texas vs No. 11 Oregon at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 6 on ESPN; Game 2 at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 7 on ESPN; and Game 3 (if necessary) with time TBD.
Tuscaloosa Super Regional begins with Game 1: No. 7 Alabama vs St. John’s at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 6 on ESPN2; Game 2 at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 7 with TBD; and Game 3 (if necessary) with time TBD.
Lawrence Super Regional has Game 1: No. 15 Kansas vs Oklahoma at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 6 on ESPN2; Game 2 at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 7 with TBD; and Game 3 (if necessary) with time TBD.
Troy Super Regional features Game 1: Troy vs. Little Rock at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, June 5 on ESPN; Game 2 at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 6 on ESPN2; and Game 3 (if necessary) with time TBD.
Morgantown Super Regional sets Game 1: No. 16 West Virginia vs. Cal Poly at Noon ET on Friday, June 5 on ESPN2; Game 2 at Noon ET on Saturday, June 6 on ESPN2; and Game 3 (if necessary) with time TBD.
Auburn Super Regional has Game 1: No. 4 Auburn vs Ole Miss at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, June 5 on ESPN2; Game 2 at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 6 on ESPN2; and Game 3 (if necessary) with time TBD.
By the time the series shift into their second and third games, the question becomes less about potential and more about who can hold up when everything tightens—exactly the kind of weekend where a single player can decide who reaches the College World Series.
Troy baseball Little Rock super regionals NCAA baseball College World Series Jabe Boroff Maxx Yehl Matt Scott Daniel Jackson Justin Lebron Chase Fralick Jason DeCaro Deiten Lachance Tyson LeBlanc Naulivou Lauaki Jr. Dylan Vigue