The College World Series is here and it is shaping up to be one of the most interesting trips to Omaha in recent memory.
From the Cinderella Story of Oral Roberts to the outright domination of Wake Forest, I’ve gone through and previewed everything you need to know about each of the eight teams making the pilgrimage to Omaha this weekend.
Oh, and reminder to get in on the action, make sure to check out our partners - Betfred Sportsbook.
Now, to our full College World Series preview:
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
In a year headlined by underdog stories, Omaha wouldn’t have been complete without a Cinderella Story of its own. The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles are only the third Regional four-seed to reach Omaha in the tournament’s current format; the first since Fresno State reached the summit in 2008.
The Golden Eagles have a special feeling about them. They are a 50-win team that has dominated their competition all season, led by Jonah Cox and his 47-game hitting streak; the fourth longest hitting streak in NCAA Baseball history.
This team reminds me of another Cinderella Story we saw this year, the Florida Atlantic Owls men’s basketball team that reached the Final Four back in March. Another mid-major team that plowed through the regular season and has since kept their momentum going into the postseason, well-exceeding their season expectations.
TCU Horned Frogs
TCU has found its stroke at the right time this postseason. After slugging their way through the Fayetteville Regional, the Horned Frogs rolled through Indiana State to reach Omaha for the first time under Head Coach Kirk Saarloos.
The biggest question for the Horned Frogs all season has been if their pitching can find its groove and stay consistent. So far, as shown in the Super Regionals, they’ve been able to do just that. When paired with the monstrous offensive efforts they’ve showcased this postseason they become an extremely tough team to take down that has all the tools it needs to succeed in Omaha.
Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee has its swagger back and is firing on all cylinders as we expected them to entering this season. Reminiscent of last season’s Arkansas team, the Volunteers were put out early in the SEC Tournament but bounced back as they were forced on the road for both the Regionals and Super Regionals.
They’ve found ways to win off the back of the elite pitching of starters Chase Dollander and Drew Beam, as well as the fiery work out of the bullpen from Chase Burns. If their hitting can keep pace with their electrifying pitching, Tennessee has a strong chance to continue their winning run going.
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Stanford Cardinal
Stanford has followed their postseason M.O. to a tee once again this season, continuing to find ways to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat, surviving winner-goes-home games against both Texas A&M and Texas to find themselves back in Omaha for the third consecutive season.
After the legendary 156-pitch performance from RHP Quinn Mathews to force Game 3 of the Super Regionals, it has felt like Stanford has a special ability to survive and advance which will prove to be a vital skill ahead of their first matchup with Wake Forest this weekend and as they fight for the National Championship.
Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia is a team that doesn’t get talked about near enough to match their consistent quality atop the ACC. This season they’ve quietly carved out an incredibly complete team from front to back. Led by top MLB Draft prospects Kyle Teel and Jake Gelof their offense should be among the most feared lineups in the country.
However, what sets the Cavaliers apart and what has led them to Omaha is their top-end pitching. They have four pitchers with more than 10 games started on the season and each one is sitting with a sub-4.00 ERA. A large reason for that is their emphasis on control and limiting opposing walks.
This is a team that is stacked throughout both their lineup and pitching staff and has all the ability in the world to make a deep run and show the country what they’ve been sleeping on.
LSU Tigers
Entering the postseason, the question surrounding LSU was how they were going to fair when Paul Skenes wasn’t on the mound. So far, the Tigers have answered those questions by doing what they’ve done all season, hit. They’re yet to score fewer than six runs in a game this postseason, helping set up their non-Skenes pitchers for the best chance of success.
However, with that said, they’re pitching has really been quite good on the Road to Omaha. In particular, LSU pitching only allowed three runs in the Super Regionals against Kentucky, punching their ticket to the College World Series for the first time since 2017.
If they’re pitching can continue to deal, the Tigers will be more than happy to show the country why they were the top-ranked team for the majority of the regular season.
Florida Gators
Despite their ultra-talented lineup, the story of the Florida Gators this postseason has been centered around the success of their pitching staff. In their seven games played so far, the Gators have only allowed 11 runs (1.6 runs per game), including three shutouts along the way.
Hurston Waldrep has set the example, demonstrated by his dominant performance to close out the Super Regionals against the heavy-hitting South Carolina Gamecocks and send the Gators back to the College World Series for the first time since 2018.
This pitching dominance paired with their stacked lineup led by Jac Caglianone and potential top-5 MLB Draft pick Wyatt Langford makes the Gators perhaps the most feared team in Omaha this weekend.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Wake Forest has put on a fireworks show of domination to reach their first College World Series in 68 years. The Demon Deacons are stacked at every position and are led the way by the country’s best pitching staff. They have an absurd collective team ERA of 2.84, paving the path for their regular season and postseason supremacy.
They’ve shown the baseball world exactly who they are this postseason, outscoring their opponents 75-16 through the Super Regionals stage. Punctuated by their 22-5 close-out victory over Alabama, Wake Forest is the team to beat in Omaha and rightfully in pole position to stake their claim at the top of the college baseball world.
Follow Grayson Buchholz on Twitter - @GBuchholzNWA
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