College Baseball World Series Picks: Murray State vs. Duke

Murray State Racers (+210) at Duke Blue Devils (-280) | O/U 16.5 (-110/-110)

The Racers (43-15) and Blue Devils (40-19) battle in Game 3 of the Durham Super Regional at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game from Jack Coombs Field can be viewed or streamed on ESPN and ESPN+.

Murray State heads into this game just one win away from its first-ever trip to the College World Series. Heck, while this has been a tremendous baseball program for years in the Ohio Valley Conference and now the Missouri Valley Conference, the Racers had never been to a Super Regional until this season.

The Racers erased Oxford Regional host Ole Miss in two out of three games on its home diamond, including a wild 12-11 victory in the decisive game, sending Murray State to Durham. The Racers suffered a 7-4 defeat in Game 1, but the bats erupted for a 19-9 victory against the Blue Devils, a postseason school record in a Regional or Super Regional.

On Sunday, Murray State raced out to a 10-3 lead after four innings, but Duke wasn’t waving the white flag. The Blue Devils posted five runs in the top of the sixth inning to cut it to 10-8. However, Murray State went wild with nine runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to get the job done.

The box score on Sunday was littered with big numbers. Outfielder Dustin Mercer went 4-for-6, all singles, with three runs scored and an RBI. Third baseman Carson Garner went 2-for-4 with a homer, two walks, three runs scored and three RBI out of the No. 3 spot of the order.

Second baseman Dom Decker was 2-for-5 with a double, a walk, a run scored and four RBI out of the cleanup position. Catcher Will Vierling delivered three hits, including a double, while driving in four runs. Shortstop Conner Cunningham came up big near the bottom of the order with a 3-for-5 showing, including a home run, two RBI and three runs scored.

The offense was a little more muted on the Duke side, but third baseman Ben Rounds collected a double and a home run, finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. Catcher Macon Winslow also cracked a homer, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI. The Blue Devils had four total homers, but three errors also didn’t help the cause. Duke hit into a pair of double plays, while Murray State hit into two twin killings.

The pitching numbers, as you would expect, were terrible for Duke, with starter Kyle Johnson abused for six runs, six hits, three walks and four strikeouts in just three innings of work. Relievers Gavin Brown and Max Stammel were the only Blue Devils pitchers to make it out of the game unscathed, with scoreless frames each.

Murray State’s pitchers didn’t fare much better, as Isaac Silva was pummeled for six runs and six hits in just 5.1 innings, while Jacob Hustedde provided shabby relief. Graham Kelham did come in and do a fair job. It helps when you’re pitching with a giant lead.

Duke is trying to get back to the College Baseball World Series for the first time since 1961. They finished sixth in each of their three previous trips. This is a program that has been playing baseball since 1889, and they’ve won Regionals in 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2025. Perhaps this is the season Duke finally breaks through and gets to Omaha. Head coach Chris Pollard has done a great job with a .578 winning percentage in his 12 seasons since taking the reins in 2013.

You cannot risk nearly three times your potential return betting the Moneyline, so grab your nose, back Duke -1.5 and hope it can return the favor with a rout. Based on last night’s offensive explosion, the books jacked up the total way too high. Take advantage, and go low on the number in this clincher. We should see plenty of butterflies on both sides at the plate, as these teams each attempt to make history for their respective institutions.

Picks: Duke Blue Devils -1.5 (-160) & Under 16.5 Total Runs (-114)