This article is part of our College Baseball Picks series.
College Baseball Picks Today: Friday Best Bets
I've been looking forward to this monster Week 3 slate for a minute. A ton of great tournaments and big-time matchups, especially on Friday night, have me GIDDY. It's going to be a big day for me as I sprawl out on my couch all day screaming at the TV like the degenerate that I am. It was a tough pick to choose, but I locked it in.
Note: We FINALLY had the run lines and totals drop when the lines came out. Hallelujah. Hopefully that trend sticks throughout the year.
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South Carolina Gamecocks (+130) @ Clemson Tigers (-166) | Total: 10
The Palmetto series is always one of the best rivalries we get every season between these two squads. It's one I look forward to. How it works, like UNC-ECU, is the Friday game is at Clemson, Saturday is neutral, and Sunday is at South Carolina. For the 9-0 Gamecocks, it'll be Matthew Becker toeing the rubber, while the 7-1 Tigers are going with All-American Aidan Knaak.
You be familiar with Clemson since I've previewed them in this early season. Knaak going is usually one of the main Friday guys I always target since pitching is so important in this sport. After a fantastic freshman year, he solidified himself as the ace for the Tigers. A likely top-five pitcher off the board in 2026, there's a lot to like about this kid, especially his disgusting change piece.
Knaak has elite swing and miss stuff. After totaling 108 punchies in 83.1 innings last year, he's up to 15 in nine innings this season. That first start against OK State was a real mixed bag. He racked up eight K's first time through the order, but was tagged afterwards against a good Pokes lineup. Against a VCU team last week, he threw a solid five innings with two earned allowed.
Facing a South Carolina lineup that packs a punch, he'll need to be on his game. What it comes down to for him is pitch selection, mixing pitches, and location. When teams are able to spit on certain pitches they've seen first time through the order, he has to pinpoint his fastball and slider that much better.
He'll see an elite slugger in Ethan Petry, who is off to a roaring start (.452 average, two homers, 1.371 OPS), and SHOULD be a top 10 pick in this summer's draft, maybe even a top five pick. Overall, it's not the same offense from the last few years that really could terrorize an opposing pitcher, so I expect Knaak to be sharp at home in a rivalry spot.
The offense for the Tigers is still really good despite absorbing the loss of some big key contributors for a season ago. Their star, Cam Cannarella (an expected high pick in 2025), is off to a sluggish start (.269 average, .862 OPS), but he can get hot in a hurry. There's a ton of production in this lineup with Dom Listi, Josh Paino, Tristan Bissetta, and Collin Priest, all of whom have an OPS at 1.000 or better (.923 for Bissetta). It's an offense I expect to do a lot of damage all year.
Squaring off against them is Becker, a career 5.21 ERA senior. Don't let that ERA fool you though as the kid still sports a career SIERA of 2.90, which is great and shows he's been unlucky. He's got a lot of swing and miss in his arsenal (216 K's in 157.1 innings to just 77 walks), though only 22 of his 62 appearances are as a starter. Becker is assuming the Friday role for now with the loss of their best arm, Eli Jerzembeck who is out for the year, so he's no slouch.
It should be a close game through the first five innings, but I expect Clemson to pull away late in what could otherwise be a tight contest. The offense and starting pitching, plus key bullpen arms, favors the Tigers in game one. I have Omaha expectations for Clemson this season, and having played the tougher schedule thus far, it gives them the edge for sure. Compare it to South Carolina with their two layups against Sacred Heart and Milwaukee, this is the spot for the Tigers to grab the home game W.
Let's ride the TIGAHS.
Best College Baseball Pick Today
Clemson ML -166 (DK)
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