How to Watch: Florida vs Virginia in College World Series on Friday

Brandon Sproat will get his typical Friday night start, but it will once again be an audition for the many major league scouts in attendance. It’s been the same story for a while with Sproat: really good stuff, but not that consistent. His 4.69 earned run average is palatable and he’s learned to generate more swing and miss than he did a year ago.

Sproat might be a first-round pick in the eyes of some scouts, but he’s not a lock to earn big money just yet either. Turning down a third-round contract is risky, but a big outing could make it everything work out.

Virginia is throwing right-hander Nick Parker, who was roommates with Florida’s BT Riopelle at Coastal Carolina as freshmen. He’s 6-foot-1-inches tall and 208 pounds with a fastball that tops out around 90 mph, yet he’s been one of the most effective pitchers of the postseason.

Parker has a slow 77-78 mph curve that’s developed nicely over the year, and his slider has also improved throughout 2023. The changeup is his favorite offspeed pitch to go to, so opposing batters are dealing with a lot when facing Parker.

Florida should be able to handle this, but I can see lefties such as Riopelle struggling with his stuff. — David Rosenberg