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Stillwater Regional betting preview: Can Nebraska reach 1st Super Regionals since 2005?
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Stillwater Regional action is set for this weekend with Nebraska hitting the road for its NCAA Tournament journey. The Huskers will travel to Oklahoma State’s home park in search of their first Super Regional appearance since 2005.
Along with the hosting Cowboys, Nebraska enters the regional group alongside Niagara and Florida. The first games are set for Friday, May 31 and will conclude by Monday, June 3.
Here is the full schedule and latest betting odds for the Stillwater Regional:
Stillwater Regional schedule (all times ET)
Friday, May 31
- Game 1 — 3 Florida vs. 2 Nebraska — 3 pm (ESPN+)
- Game 2 — 1 Oklahoma State vs. 4 Niagara — 7 pm (ESPN+)
Saturday, June 1
- Game 3 — Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 — 2 pm (ESPN+)
- Game 4 — Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 — 7 pm (ESPN+)
Sunday, June 2
- Game 5 — Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 — 2 pm (TBD)
- Game 6 — Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4 — 7 pm (TBD)
Monday, June 3
- Game 7 (if necessary) — Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 — TBD (TBD)
Stillwater Regional betting odds
As the No. 11 overall seed in the country and host program, Oklahoma State is the favorite to emerge from the Stillwater Regional. However, Florida is not far behind in the odds while Nebraska checks in at 3rd despite being the No. 2 seed in the region. Here are the full odds to win the regional via ESPN Bet:
- Oklahoma State: -105
- Florida: +160
- Nebraska: +400
- Niagara: +5000
NJ, PA, WV, MI Must be 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Here is a breakdown of every team in the Stillwater Regional:
No. 1 Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State cemented its spot in the postseason with a Big 12 Tournament title, rattling off 3 straight wins with a title game victory over Oklahoma. The Cowboys finished the regular season 40-17 overall and 2nd in the Big 12 standings entering the tournament.
Oklahoma State holds the No. 11 ranking in the RPI after going 11-12 against Quad 1 opponents and 9-3 vs. Quad 2 opponents. They beat Oklahoma in a regular-season series at home and also beat Michigan and Arkansas in nonconference matchups.
Offensively, the Cowboys averaged over 8 runs per game with Nolan Schubart’s 20 home runs leading 7 OSU players with at least 9 home runs. Oklahoma State’s pitching staff is also among the best in the country with 4.6 runs allowed per game.
The Cowboys pitching group is led by a pair of 15-game starters in Brian Holiday and Sam Garcia with each recording 110+ strikeouts and an era below 3.30.
No. 2 Nebraska
After finishing behind Illinois in the Big Ten standings, Nebraska pulled off a fantastic run in the B1G Tournament. The Huskers dropped their tournament opener in disastrous fashion vs. Ohio State but rallied with 5 straight wins, including a 2-1 nail-biter vs. Penn State for the title.
Even without a tournament title, Nebraska looked like a team eligible for an at-large bid with a No. 28 ranking in the RPI. The Huskers finished the season 3-1 against Quad 1 and 15-12 against Quad 2. Nebraska won the regular-season series against Indiana while also sweeping Nicholls and taking 3 of 4 games from Grand Canyon.
Offensively, Nebraska averages over 6.7 runs per game but is not reliant on the long ball. Josh Caron led the Huskers with 16 home runs and a .605 slugging percentage. Nebraska is active in the run game with 91 steals, including 31 from Riley Silva to go with a .416 OBP.
On the mound, Nebraska has a quartet of starters with 10+ starts on the season, anchored by Brett Sears who threw 99 innings with 97 strikeouts on the year. With a defense that gives up 4.9 runs per game, the Huskers should have the arms and depth to remain in any game they play in Stillwater.
No. 3 Florida
Florida enters the NCAA Tournament as one of the most controversial at-large bids this season. The national runner-up a season ago, the Gators barely finished above .500 at 28-27 and were just 13-17 in SEC play.
Nevertheless, a No. 30 ranking in the RPI carried Florida into the tournament, even with a 13-18 record in Quad 1 and a 2-6 mark in Quad 2. The high points of Florida’s regular season include series wins against Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State and Georgia but the Gators also lost series to Mizzou (swept in 3 games), South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Florida possesses plenty of firepower with elite MLB prospect Jac Caglianone leading the way with 29 home runs. Altogether, the Gators have 7 players with double-digit home runs and a .514 team slugging percentage.
Pitching has been the issue for Florida with a 6.27 team ERA and Caglianone serving as a 2-way star and anchoring the pitching staff. However, even Caglianone has struggled a bit on the mound this season with a 4.35 ERA and just 62 innings pitched.
No. 4 Niagara
Niagara tied for the regular season championship in the MAAC with Fairfield, putting a lot at stake in the MAAC Tournament. Niagara would need just 3 games to win the MAAC Tournament, including a clinching 10-6 win over Fairfield in the title game.
Niagara enters the postseason with the No. 103 ranking in the RPI and a 1-1 Quad 1 record and a 1-2 Quad 2 record.
Offensively, the program averages over 8.4 runs per game with balanced power throughout the lineup. Eric Rataczak leads the team with 16 home runs and 14 doubles, but 11 players have at least 3 home runs.
Niagara’s team ERA checks in at 5.40, and 15-game starter Maximilian Ramirez IV has a 6.38 ERA. Zach Cameron is a workhorse reliever but it’s fair to question if Niagara has the arms to win a regional.
Stillwater Regional prediction
Florida’s depth of firepower bears monitoring, but this is the time of the year where teams need arms to get deep in the postseason. That means this one will likely boil down to Nebraska and Oklahoma State and which team sees its pitching staff wear down faster. The Huskers have a group capable of making a run, and their value at +400 to win the region at ESPN Bet is enticing. But for a winner, it’s hard to pick against the host Cowboys.
Prediction to win the region: Oklahoma State (-105 via ESPN Bet)
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.