Arkansas, Oregon State Headline Kubota College Baseball Series Weekend 2
Arkansas, Oregon State Headline Kubota College Baseball Series Weekend 2
The College Baseball Shdown is now the Kubota College Baseball Series. Weekend 2 welcomes Arkansas and Oregon State to Globe Life Field for early tests.
The 2024 Kubota College Baseball Series, formerly the College Baseball Showdown, features likely front-runners in the ensuing race for Omaha and the NCAA Men's College World Series, including headliners Arkansas and Oregon State.
The Razorbacks and Beavers are two of the prominent programs that will make up the field at the Weekend 2 portion of the 2024 Kubota College Baseball Series.
The event includes a powerhouse lineup guaranteed to set the tone for the spring.
- Subscribe To FloBaseball To Watch The 2024 Kubota College Baseball Series
- Tennessee, Texas Tech Open Season At Shriners Children's College Showdown
- Wake Forest No. 1 In First 2024 NCAA Baseball Rankings
Learn more about Weekend 2 of the three-part Kubota College Baseball Series:
What Teams Are Playing In The Kubota College Baseball Series?
Weekend 2 (Feb. 23-25)
Weekend 3 (March 1-3)
A pair of top 10-ranked teams per D1Baseball.com's preseason poll—No. 3 Arkansas and No. 7 Oregon State—headline the impressive field of the 2024 Kubota College Baseball Series Weekend 2.
Both the Razorbacks and Beavers embark on the campaign with College World Series aspirations. However, that means fellow competitors Michigan and Oklahoma State have prime opportunities to make significant statements when they face Arkansas and Oregon State as part of the event.
Michigan finished in the upper half of the Big Ten Conference a season ago, while Oklahoma State returns from a 41-win 2023 campaign. The Cowboys reached the NCAA Tournament before bowing out in the regional round.
Players To Watch At College Baseball Showdown Weekend 2
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
Coming off an All-American 2023, Travis Bazzana returns for 2024 as the leader of a powerful Oregon State lineup and one of the absolute best MLB prospects in the nation.
Bazzana was spectacular a year ago, batting .374 for the NCAA Tournament-qualifying Beavers.
His ability to get on-base consistently helped fuel the Oregon State offense, with Bazzana emerging as a regular threat to get into scoring position with his base-running. He stole 36 bases on 39 attempts.
Combining that speed with plenty of power, evident in 11 home runs, Bazzana is as well-rounded an offensive player as there is in college baseball.
Carson Benge, OF & RHP, Oklahoma State
Among the country's most intriguing players is Carson Benge, a rare two-way talent who shines in the field or as a pitcher.
Benge earned Freshman All-American honors on the strength of a season in which he pitched 35 innings with 35 strikeouts.
At the plate, he hit .345, drew 42 walks and had 23 multiple-hit games.
Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas
Boasting a 15-4 record in his two seasons at Arkansas, Hagen Smith has been the picture of pitching consistency.
He went 8-2 in 11 starts and 18 appearances last season with a 3.64 ERA, 109 strikeouts, while allowing an opponent batting average of just .217.
Smith is the No. 15 overall MLB Draft prospect for 2024 per MLB.com and figures to be one of the most dominant starters in college baseball in the coming season.
How To Watch The 2024 Kubota College Baseball Series Weekend 2
Watch the 2024 Kubota College Baseball Series Weekend 2 on FloBaseball and the FloSports app.
FloBaseball will be streaming several season-opening college baseball tournaments, including the Shriners Children's College Showdown, Sanderson Ford College Classic and Snowbird Baseball.
2024 Kubota College Baseball Series Weekend 2 Schedule
All times Eastern
Friday, February 23
- 4 p.m. – Michigan vs. Oklahoma State
- 8 p.m. – Oregon State vs. Arkansas
Saturday, February 24
- 4 p.m. – Michigan vs. Oregon State
- 8 p.m. – Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State
Sunday, February 25
- 2 p.m. – Arkansas vs. Michigan
- 6 p.m. – Oklahoma State vs. Oregon State
2024 Kubota College Baseball Series Weekend 3 Schedule
All times Eastern
Friday, March 1
- 3 p.m. – USC vs. TCU
- 7 p.m. – Arizona State vs. Texas A&M
Saturday, March 2
- 3 p.m. – Texas A&M vs. USC
- 7 p.m. – TCU vs. Arizona State
Sunday, March 3
- 12 p.m. – Arizona State vs. Texas A&M
- 4 p.m. – USC vs. TCU
Where Is The Kubota College Baseball Series?
Arlington, Texas, and Globe Life Field, home of the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers, host the Kubota College Baseball Series.
Globe Life Field, one of the newest venues in Major League Baseball, officially opened in 2020.
The retractable-roof stadium quickly became a hub for high-profile college baseball, which this year includes hosting the Shriners Children's College Baseball Showdown and the Kubota College Baseball Series.
What's the Difference Between the Shriners Showdown And The Kubota College Series?
Globe Life Field's role in hosting some of the best college baseball of the early season this year includes both the Kubota College Series and the Shriners Children's College Showdown.
The latter ushers in the season, one week prior to the Kubota College Series, with six teams from four conferences in action on Feb. 16-18.
The Shriners Children's Showdown features Nebraska, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas Tech, TCU and Oklahoma, and is a standalone event.
The Kubota College Baseball Series opens with midweek games, before the first of two weekend events. The first, featuring Arkansas and Oregon State, runs Feb. 23-25.