It’s top team versus top team and top pitcher versus top pitcher as Texas and Florida meet on day one of the College World Series. Both are among the nation’s elite with each earning one of the eight national seeds and tonight will feature one of the best pitching match-ups around as the Longhorns send Taylor Jungmann to the mound to face the Gators’ Hudson Randall.
College World Series 2011, Texas Vs. Florida: Elite Pitching Match-Up
A first round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers, Jungmann went 13-2 with a 1.38 ERA this season. He has a fastball that will touch the high 90’s and is the definition of a big, strong flamethrower. Both of his losses this season did come in his two postseason starts though so there is concern about his slumping at the worst possible time.
Not to be outdone, Randall went 10-3 with a 2.29 ERA this year with an uber-efficient approach that saw him walk just 12 all season. His fastball tops out at 91 mph, but he commands all of his pitches well and works very quickly. He’ll have to battle the much-hyped Jungmann in what is being billed as the headline game of the College World Series’ opening round because of the quality of teams, but also the quality of arms on the mound.
Vanderbilt defeated North Carolina earlier in the day to advance to the winner's bracket of bracket one and now the Longhorns and Gators will battle to join them there. Texas is among the most historic programs in the country with six national titles and the most College World Series appearances in the country, but Florida has the most pure talent of any team in the country and has spent the entre season in the top three nationally.
First pitch is at 7:10 pm ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN. The winner will square off against Vanderbilt on Monday while the loser will play North Carolina in an elimination game also on Monday.
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