(OMAHA, Neb.)–The College World Series is set to begin this afternoon with Texas Tech and Michigan facing off in Game 1, with it now creeping towards the 70th consecutive year that the Greatest Show On Dirt is played in Omaha. The field consists of the usual layout of teams—a few powerhouse programs, the usual attendees in Omaha, and an underdog or two. However, a new series means new storylines across the eight teams competing. Here is what to expect from each of the squads in this year’s College World Series.
Vanderbilt Commodores:
Perhaps the favorite in this year’s favorite is consistent attendee Vanderbilt. The boys from Vandy began in the 64-team field as the number two overall seed. Head Coach Tim Corbin’s bunch went undefeated in the Nashville Regional, picking up convincing wins against Ohio State and Indiana State. It wasn’t until the Super Regional that Vandy dealt with adversity. After losing a rain-affected game one to Duke 18-5, the Commodores responded by beating Duke twice in a row to advance to their fourth CWS in this decade.
Vanderbilt’s postseason run has been highlighted by Freshman pitcher Kumar Rocker’s no-hitter in the Super Regionals. With his team facing elimination, Rocker pitched a complete game no-no to beat Duke in game two of the Super Regionals. Perhaps even crazier than the no-hitter was Rocker’s 19 strikeouts to help his cause.
Make no mistake, Vanderbilt can hit too. This season, the Commodores have set new team records in both RBIs and home runs. Vandy is a complete team that has played a gauntlet of a season. Teams certainly have been put on notice by this Commodore squad.
Arkansas Razorbacks:
This team has the most bitter taste in their mouth heading back to Omaha this season, after being just one out away from clinching the title last year before losing their final two games of the championship series. They have responded well this season, heading into the CWS with a 46-18 record. This team is very well-rounded, and has a great shot at getting out of their side of the bracket and return to the championship. Their pitching staff is led by Isaiah Campbell, who received All-American honors, and boasts a 12-1 record and holds opposing batters to a .205 average.
They have many returning players who were a big impact in the CWS last year, like Heston Kjerstad and Casey Martin who both have 15 home runs, and Dominic Fletcher who has a team-high 59 RBI’s.
With their efficiency and grit shown thus far, it should be no surprise if the Razorbacks end up redeeming themselves from last year’s title loss.
Michigan Wolverines:
Talk about getting hot at the right time. This team has been deemed one of the underdogs of the tournament, but have played very good baseball to end up here. Exactly three weeks ago today, the Wolverines were playing at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha for the B1G Tournament, and couldn’t find a way to get past Nebraska in the semi-finals; but after benefiting from Oregon State falling back-to-back games on their home turf in Regionals, and winning two of three against the nation’s top team, UCLA, in Super Regionals, Michigan finds themselves among the “Elite Eight”.
The Michigan bats can catch fire quick, led by Jordan Brewer who bats .338 and has knocked in 55 RBI’s. Four Michigan players have hit 12 home runs on the year. Their pitchers were also a big part of their appearance in Omaha, with the starting three pitchers of Karl Kauffmann, Jeff Criswell, and Tommy Henry giving up just five runs in the three games of their Super Regional against the Bruins.
They face Texas Tech in their opening game, and the Red Raiders beat Michigan earlier this season in a weekend series, outscoring the Wolverines 29-10 in the three games. Michigan can’t skip a beat if they want to stay in the hunt.
Mississippi State Bulldogs:
The Bulldogs return to the CWS again this year, still one of the premier hitting teams in the country. Many familiar faces from last year’s series that lead the way for the team this season, Jake Magnum in particular. He’s batting .355 with 22 doubles and has only struck out 24 times this season. Five batters for the Bulldogs bat over .295, and have a pitching staff with a lot of depth.
Ethan Small is 10-2 with a 1.76 ERA and has not given up more than three earned runs in a single game all season. Relievers like Jared Liebelt and Keegan James help round out this squad and make them tough to beat if you’re down late in games.
The Bulldogs did not lose a single game in the NCAA Tournament heading into Omaha, and look to keep this hot-stretch going as they take on conference foe, Auburn, in their first game. They are 2-1 against the Tigers this season.
Texas Tech Red Raiders:
Texas Tech comes in as the reigning Big-12 Champions, and is in their fourth CWS appearance in the last six years (5th appearance in school history). The Red Raiders have been on an absolute tear lately. They have won 21 of their last 26 games, including 10 of their final 11 conference games. A big part of their success has to do with Josh Jung and Cameron Warren. Both bat over .340, both have at least 14 home runs, and both have a slugging percentage over .600. The top eight batters on the lineup bat over .290, and have extra base hitters throughout.
Their “issue” is their bullpen. They have a team ERA of 3.90, and don’t have a go-to pitcher they can rely on in a tough spot. Dallas Micah has had an impressive 7-0 record in 17 appearances, but the opposing team ERA of 7.13 has helped a Texas Tech bullpen that pitches a lot of guys for short periods of time.
The bats will help push the Red Raiders forward throughout the tournament, how far is the real question.
Louisville Cardinals:
After going two-and-barbeque in the ACC Tournament, the Cardinals have played tremendous baseball. They snuck out of a regional battle with Illinois State, and then gave a beat-down to an East Carolina team that a lot of people expected to make an appearance in Omaha, outscoring the Pirates 26-1 in the two games. The balance of Louisville has helped them get back here, with their whole team capable of getting on base and burning the base paths; four guys on their starting lineup have at least 14 stolen bases.
Their pitching staff is similar to Texas Tech, in that they go through many guys who pitch for short increments, but they are still led by Reid Detmers who is 12-4 on the season and has 162 strikeouts in just 107 innings.
Louisville has been on a tear, look out for them to make a deep run in the College World Series if they can fend of the CWS favorite in their opening game, Vanderbilt.
Florida State Seminoles:
Saying Florida State is an underdog seems like a joke. The Seminoles are making their 23rd trip to Omaha for the College World Series. They’re one of the premier programs in, not just the highly competitive ACC, but the entire country. However, it wasn’t the most impressive year for the Florida State program—struggling more than usual in ACC play. It wasn’t until the end of May until the Noles caught fire. Florida State is riding a six game winning streak into Omaha, having not lost since May 21. The surging Noles surprised many, sweeping their regional and their road Super Regional at LSU, all as a three seed. Even if FSU didn’t get off to the best start, they’re hot now.
The big story line surrounding Florida State is the looming retirement of long-time coach Mike Martin. Coach Martin is in his 40thseason at the helm, with a career record of 2021-730-4. Those numbers make him the winningest D1 coach in history. Now, in his last season, the Seminoles have gone on an impeccable run led by leaders and MLB draftees Drew Parrish, J.C. Flowers and Drew Mendoza. The Seminoles are looking to give Mike Martin the most incredible sendoff of all-time, a first-ever CWS for coach in his 40thseason.
Auburn Tigers:
Auburn was one of the bigger surprises in the CWS field this year, heading in with a 38-26 overall record, and a losing conference record in the SEC (14-16). They finished just 12-20 in their final 32 games heading into Regionals. Then their offense caught fire, scoring 8.5 runs per game in their six NCAA Tournament games, including 14 runs in their Super Regional finale against North Carolina.
The Tigers don’t have many sluggers, with a team batting average of just .265 which ranks last of the eight teams in Omaha. Conor Davis and Judd Ward lead the way both batting over .280, and both have exactly 34 RBI’s and 70 hits. Edouard Julien is the big hitter on the team, with 54 RBI’s and 9 home runs (both lead the team).
The pitching staff will have to improve for the Tigers to compete. The pitching staff’s 4.49 ERA is also the worst of the eight teams competing, but they have guys who have stepped up like Tanner Burns, who has 100 strikeouts in just 79 innings pitched, and a team-low 2.73 ERA. For Auburn to make a deep run at the CWS title, the Tiger defense must secure outs and hope the bats remain hot.
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