College World Series Field Set, Play Begins June 16
After two rounds of exciting college baseball postseason, we have our final eight teams. Those eight teams battle in the College World Series with a championship on the line.
Wake Forest and LSU are the favorites in the group, followed by Florida and Virginia. TCU and Oral Roberts – the nation's hottest teams – duke it out in the same bracket. Tennessee and Stanford were the final two teams to punch their tickets to Omaha.
The College World Series begins Friday, June 16, in Omaha, Nebraska.
8 Teams Punch Their Ticket To College World Series
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Wake Forest clinched their spot in the College World Series behind a record-breaking +59 run differential through the Regionals and Super Regionals. They roster the best pitching staff in the nation, all of whom are playing lights-out baseball. But it's the bats that made headlines for Wake, topped by a 22-run avalanche that included nine home runs against Alabama in the clinching game.
LSU Tigers
Thanks to rostering the nation's best pitcher in Paul Skenes and one of the top hitting duos in Dylan Crews and Tommy White, LSU made an example out of a good Kentucky team en route to another College World Series berth. They were the unanimous preseason No. 1 team and slipped late in the year. Turns out – that was more a slump than an indicator, and LSU is one of the most dangerous teams in the CWS.
Stanford Cardinal
One of the most thrilling series came to an end late Monday night, and Stanford locked up their fourth consecutive CWS appearance. The Cardinal toppled back-to-back Texas foes – Texas A&M in the Regionals and Texas in the Super Regionals – but lands in a bracket loaded with talent. Could the luck continue for Stanford?
Tennessee Volunteers
Despite the perception of a disappointing season, Tennessee accomplished something this year they didn't last year – make the College World Series. Perhaps the removal of expectation helped propel the Vols to Omaha, but they have an impossible task ahead: topple the teams in Bracket 1. Should the pitching trio of Chase Burns, Chase Dollander, and Drew Beam hit their stride, Tennessee could spoil the party.
Florida Gators
Few teams waltzed through their Regional and Super Regional quicker than Florida. The Gators bulldozed Texas Tech and South Carolina en route to a spot in the College World Series behind terrific pitching. Jac Caglianone leads the team with 31 home runs and counting.
Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia was literally inches away from a 2-0 sweep of Duke, but a home run robbery pushed the series to three games. The Cavaliers might be the best fastball-hitting team in the nation, punishing Duke for 26 combined runs in the final two games of the Supers. Their style of play matches up well against their bracket opponents in Florida, TCU, and Oral Roberts.
TCU Horned Frogs
Fuller Birch
There may not be a hotter team in the nation than TCU. Blistering-hot bats toppled the Fayetteville Regional, then lockdown pitching clinched the Super Regional. The balance in play poses well for a deep College World Series run, and their bracket draw helps even more.
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Don't call them a Cinderella – Oral Roberts has 51 wins on the year and has lost twice since April 6 by a combined three runs. They began the postseason as a No. 4 seed in the Stillwater Regional and the No. 82 RPI team. Now, they're 50th in RPI and ready to continue their dream run straight to the finals.
2023 College World Series Bracket Draws
Bracket 1
No. 1 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (52-10)
No. 5 LSU Tigers (48-15)
Tennessee Volunteers (43-20)
No. 8 Stanford Cardinal (43-18)
Bracket 2
No. 2 Florida Gators (50-15)
No. 7 Virginia Cavaliers (50-13)
TCU Horned Frogs (42-22)
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (51-12)
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