College World Series NCAA Baseball Championship

Parent Cafe
1

Am I the only one watching?
Do you know who will win?
Have a favorite to cheer on?

Eight teams are left standing in pursuit of a national championship as the College World Series has begun in Omaha this weekend. LSU leads the pack with six titles while half of the remaining field will be seeking their first CWS crown.
What makes the tournament entertaining every year is the atmosphere. Baseball is typically a slow, laid-back sport, but that changes when you inject the college energy. It creates a different vibe, especially in the pressure-packed late innings.

With that in mind, do you have a pick for which teams will survive each side of the bracket along with a championship selection?

Records of the 8 teams against each other:

Florida 7-3 (2-1 vs Miami, 1-1 vs Arkansas, 3-1 vs Vanderbilt, 1-0 vs LSU)
Miami 3-4 (1-2 vs Florida, 2-2 vs Virginia)
Virginia 2-2 (2-2 vs Miami)
LSU 3-2 (3-1 vs Arkansas, 0-1 vs Florida)
Arkansas 2-7 (0-3 vs Vanderbilt, 1-3 vs LSU, 1-1 vs Florida)
Vanderbilt 4-4 (0-1 vs TCU, 3-0 vs Arkansas, 1-3 vs Florida)
TCU 1-0 (1-0 vs Vanderbilt)
Cal State Fullerton 0-0

Disclaimer: “Past performance does not guarantee future returns.”

Interesting stats:

Of the last 34 champions, only 3 have lost their first game and come back to win. USCarolina in 2010, SC in 1998 and Oregon State in 2006.

In the last 25 years, the other 22 champions (ignoring the above 3) all started 2-0.

So in 34 years, 272 teams have gone to Omaha. 136 have lost their first game and only 3 have won the title. So less than a 3% chance.

In the last 25 years, 50 teams have won their first and lost their second. None have won the title.

In the last 25 years, 50 teams have gone 2-0. 22 have won the title. That is a 44% chance of winning the title if you go 2-0. So the recipe is simple: Don’t lose either of the first two games!!!

Bracket 1:

SAT 6/13 (3:00 PM) Game 1: Virginia @ Arkansas
SAT 6/13 (8:00 PM) Game 2: (#5) Miami @ (#4) FLORIDA

MON 6/15 (3:00 PM) Game 5: Loser’s Bracket
MON 6/15 (8:00 PM) Game 6: Winner’s Bracket

WED 6/17 (8:00 PM) Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6

FRI 6/19 (3:00 PM) Game 11: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 6
SAT 6/20 (3:00 PM) Game 13: (if necessary - rematch of Game 11)

Bracket 2:

SUN 6/14 (3:00 PM) Game 3: (#7) TCU @ (#2) LSU
SUN 6/14 (8:00 PM) Game 4: CS Fullerton vs. Vanderbilt

TUE 6/16 (3:00 PM) Game 7: Loser’s Bracket
TUE 6/16 (8:00 PM) Game 8: Winner’s Bracket

THU 6/18 (8:00 PM) Game 10: Winner of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8

FRI 6/19 (8:00 PM) Game 12: Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 8
SAT 6/20 (8:00 PM) Game 14: (if necessary - rematch of Game 12)

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Hoos! 5-3 over Arkansas.

Loads of stealing today by UVa. Thought they might run themselves out of the game, but their play on the basepaths made a huge difference, especially in the top of the 8th.

Not a big fan of the camo uniforms though. Hunting is big in VA, and if I were retired, I might sport some of it.

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Would like seeing Gators do well in tourney…they gotta get Miami tonight.

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Local college SUNY Cortland finally won the Div III NCAA College World Series this year! It took 13 attempts but the 45-4 Red Dragons went undefeated throughout the World Series and rallied in the 9th inning in the final game.

I know…Div III is not Div I and scouts aren’t foaming at the mouth over the prospects. But some of the Cortland players were once playing Div I ball and now have the satisfaction of being NCAA champs.

5

I’m all-in for Vanderbilt. Anything can happen, but this is a great team with 3 first round draft picks, including number 1 pick Dansby Swanson.

I hate Virginia’s cammo uniforms. Miami doesn’t belong in Omaha.

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I watched Cortland back in March when they were down in Florida over spring break come from behind to win in the ninth too over Rutgers-Camden. Red Dragons had a bunch of character and discipline to pull off that win. Great team play. Great win to come behind in the Championship game!

What was with that Miami balk call?
Good thing the Gators won by more than one or there would be a lot of talk.

After yesterday, the announcers were picking UF on bracket 1 to advance and
Vandy on the other side.

Here is the updated scores before this afternoon’s games.

Bracket 1:

SAT 6/13 (3:00 PM) Game 1: Virginia @ Arkansas (FINAL: VIRGINIA 5, Arkansas 3)
SAT 6/13 (8:00 PM) Game 2: (#5) Miami @ (#4) Florida (FINAL: FLORIDA 15, Miami 3)

MON 6/15 (3:00 PM) Game 5: (0-1) Arkansas @ (0-1) Miami (Elimination Game)
MON 6/15 (8:00 PM) Game 6: (1-0) Florida @ (1-0) Virginia

WED 6/17 (8:00 PM) Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6

FRI 6/19 (3:00 PM) Game 11: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 6
SAT 6/20 (3:00 PM) Game 13: (if necessary - rematch of Game 11)

Bracket 2:

SUN 6/14 (3:00 PM) Game 3: (#7) TCU @ (#2) LSU
SUN 6/14 (8:00 PM) Game 4: CS Fullerton vs. Vanderbilt

TUE 6/16 (3:00 PM) Game 7: Loser’s Bracket
TUE 6/16 (8:00 PM) Game 8: Winner’s Bracket

THU 6/18 (8:00 PM) Game 10: Winner of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8

FRI 6/19 (8:00 PM) Game 12: Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 8
SAT 6/20 (8:00 PM) Game 14: (if necessary - rematch of Game 12)

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Florida is problematic for Vandy- and the Florida coach makes the games last really long. He comes on the field so often it gets mentioned in every broadcast.

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Fullerton is leading defending champ Vanderbilt, 3-0. Vandy ace, the dude with the funky glasses,Carson Fulmer (#8 in MLB draft), really was having trouble with his pitching.Titans ace, Eshelman was dominating. Vandy had gotten into the small ball game style and just gave Fullerton runs by just simple mistakes.

Vandy will return, from weather delay, batting in the bottom of the sixth, two outs, runner on third. It’s a 2-2 count to the Vandy cleanup hitter;Zander Wiel.

The Big win for Vandy. Eshelman can’t come back out…

In some ways I want Vandy gone just to get rid of the Vandy fan who whistles after every single pitch. You don’t want to notice it at all. In your mind you want to treat it as white noise but I simply can’t. That guy is just annoying as finger nails on a chalk board. I don’t see how it doesn’t exhaust him. Guy looks old.

TCU Frogs are not only for real but more importantly that they are in a groove and will be a serious threat for every team going forward.

Today we have Vandy resuming against Fullerton. 11.05 amCT
Arkansas versus Miami 2pm CT
Cavaliers vs Gators 7pm CT

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The whistler is controversial among Vandy fans. Most despise him and find it embarrassing and annoying. ESPN had a real issue with him last year, since it was irritating on their broadcast. Other fans think it’s a great thing. Go figure.

Carson Fulmer did not have his best game, for sure, but it’s not like we got him any runs! Eshelman was very problematic for us, and I am just hoping we can get a rally off of the next pitcher. We are NOT looking forward to facing LSU (who we did not play this year) in an early elimination game, especially since they saved their best pitcher.

10

I am with MomofWildChild in cheering for the Commodores. I think they are a great group of young men led by a great coach, Tim Corbin. Oh, and they’re talented baseball players, too. It’s hard to get my work done when I’m glued to the game, but work can wait…

11

Cheering for Vandy too! Anchor Down!

12

Woohoo! Unbelievable! Vandy wins it 4-3. Walk-off home run. Okay, back to work…

13

I think Vanderbilt’s black uniforms with white pinstripes are the best! Vandy is straight up shades U.
They rock them out hard.

Rain delay forces best pitcher off the mound and Vandy saw the consequences of it.

I get this feeling that during the day time with the new balls it just carries a lot better than it does at night.

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Boy, I went nuts over my twitter feed from the middle of a meeting! What a finish by the defending national champs! Walk off home run!

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Go Frogs!!!

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Another glorious day in Omaha! Anchor Down!

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Vanderbilt is hitting .177 in Omaha.

Both winners are off until Friday, which is a huge advantage with pitching full rested, etc. and both only needed 1 run to win.

One more win to get to the best of three. Hoo would have thunk it?

UVA doesn’t have the deepest pitching staff this year, now Jones, Waddell and Kirby should all be ready to go for their next two or three games. I say that not having any idea how Kirby is feeling or what the plan is for him, but they said he’s available.
Elimination brackets should be entertaining rematches.

TCU vs Tigers
Gators vs Canes

18

Go Dores! I’m recovering from emergency eye surgery on Wednesday, so I have too much time on my hands to obsess about a repeat.

Incredible that the same teams are in the final series as last year. I’m SO glad we aren’t playing Florida. There would have definitely been a brawl. Virginia is a much classier team.

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I hope your recovery goes well, MomofWildChild.

H and I agree - we’re very impressed with Virginia’s players and coach. Coach O’Connor grew up in the Omaha/Council Bluffs, IA area and played college baseball in Omaha at Creighton University. Of course, anyone who follows Vandy baseball knows what a great man Coach Corbin is. Their press conference this morning was fantastic. If anyone is interested, here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-i59woH8g0&feature=youtu.be

Go Dores!

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How 'bout them Hoos?!!!
Lost the game, 10-5 and Kirby didn’t get out of the third.

Florida was an offensive juggernaut.
Florida vs. Waddell/Sborz: 4 runs in 18 innings
Florida vs. Everyone else: 35 runs in 27 innings.

I am very surprised that UVa advanced out of the bracket.
But what a see-saw game; nice to see the Hoos come out on top 5-4.

Should be a good rematch of last year’s final against Vandy.