Eye On The College World Series

It’s finally time to place all eyes on Omaha. No more waiting is necessary, the 70th College World Series is finally here. With so much history having already been made in the preliminary rounds, there is every reason to believe this will be a memorable final two weeks of the baseball season. Just think, never before has a team punched a world series ticket by way of a walk-off grand slam. Rarely does the final eight feature a pair of first time participants or as many teams in search of their initial crown. Touching on these topics and much more, here are EIGHT observations from Omaha…

›The 2016 CWS field is in place. The “Omaha Eight” are now set in stone: Arizona, UC-Santa Barbara, Coastal Carolina, Florida, Miami, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas Tech have all made the trip into the midwest to battle it out for a championship. Bracket One features the Cowboys, Gauchos, Hurricane and Wildcats, while the Chanticleers, Gators, Horned Frogs and Red Raiders occupy Bracket Two. For a full look at the head to head math cups and daily schedule visit the “Series Watch” page.

›Only a trio of National Seeds survived. Just Florida (1), Miami (3) and Texas Tech (5) remain from the eight schools awarded a preferential path at the start of the process. This becomes even more intriguing when you consider that Clemson (7) alone failed to escape the first round of the tournament. Four of the eight National Seeds-Louisville (2), Texas A&M (4), Mississippi State (6) and LSU (8)- were defeated at home in Super Regionals.

›Three 2015 CWS participants are back for more. There will be familiar faces at TD Ameritrade Park, though neither of the teams which traded titles the last two seasons will be on hand. Both defending champion Virginia and their familiar foe Vanderbilt failed to escape home regionals, thus assuring the college baseball world of a new championship series matchup for the first time since 2013. The Gators, Hurricanes and Horned Frogs have all returned from last year’s group. TCU is the only club making a third straight appearance. What do each of these three returners have in common? See the note below on potential first time champions.

›First time clubs, first time champs? First year Arizona head coach Jay Johnson navigated his team past perennial power Mississippi State, using a late inning comeback and an extra inning thriller to become the first team in the field. In fact, the ‘Cats were the only club with a series ticket after day two of Super Regional play. Though they have a new coach and a new crop of players, Arizona is the most recent champion in this year’s College World Series field (2012). Miami joins the ‘Cats as four time Champions, but the ‘Canes are one of only three schools on site having ever won the title. Oklahoma State is back for the first time since the late 1990’s (1999), though their lone championship came forty years prior to that (1959). Coastal Carolina and UC-Santa Barbara are making their first ever appearances, though the Big South and Big West representatives are not the only programs looking to end the month with a first ever title. Florida, TCU and Texas Tech would also be hoisting the trophy for the first time should everything fall their way.

›The Road has been kind. If you get the sense from reading the prior headlines that being at home has meant very little this year, you’d be absolutely correct. Visiting teams dominated the Super Regionals. In fact, among the eight Super pairings Miami was the only home team to win it’s opening game. Additionally, six host schools failed to escape their respective regionals across the first weekend of the post-season. No one has handled the road challenge more effective than Oklahoma State. After cruising through the Clemson regional and taking down South Carolina in an extended trip through the Palmetto State, the ‘Pokes enter Omaha as the only club still unbeaten at 5-0 in tournament play.

›Entrance to Omaha came in “Grand” style. Multiple Grand Slams were responsible for helping secure College World Series berths. By now most everyone has seen perhaps the most epic finish to a Super Regional in NCAA Tournament history, a pinch-hit effort which erased the 3-0 deficit the Gauchos faced in the bottom of the ninth and handed the nationally seeded Louisville Cardinals only a third home loss on the year (two of which were back to back at the hands of UCSB). However, Sam Cohen’s thrilling swing of the bat was just one of three Grand Slams which propelled clubs forward over the weekend. Miami and Florida also maximized their offensive potential and pulled away from their opponent with one big base clearing cut. The Super Regional round also produced three walk-off winners. Coastal Carolina, Arizona and UC-Santa Barbara all used late inning drama to seal the deal. Whether bases full or empty, the home run ball has been more prevalent this year than in recent editions of the NCAA Tournament. With the entire CWS left to be played, teams have already clubbed over 50 more home runs than during the entirety of last year’s tournament. While the pitching friendly confines of the new ballpark in Omaha will certainly put this surge to the test, it is definately worth keeping in view.

›A Pair of in-state rivalries remain in effect. There is nothing quite like rivalry baseball. Close proximity for fan bases when it comes to Omaha often serves to raise the stakes to a whole new level. This year will be no different for baseball fans in the Lone Star State. TCU had to defeat national seed Texas A&M for a second straight year just to get back to Omaha. Now the Horned Frogs must battle their neighbors to the west, Big 12 regular season champion Texas Tech in their opening game of the CWS. Likewise, Florida went head to head with Florida State to punch the final return ticket into this year’s field. Let your eyes wander to the other side of the bracket for a moment, where Miami is hoping to stand in the way of the full season favorites. The experienced ‘Canes are making a 25th College World Series trip to close out their record 44th straight NCAA tourney appearance. Sunshine State fans with brackets in hand must already have visions of a Championship Series showdown between the lone remaining ACC and SEC schools for the title.

›Sixteen CWS Surprises for 2016. 1) Five National Seeds were dispensed in prior rounds. 2) Six of the seven highly regarded SEC host schools were defeated along the way. 3) Nine of ten ACC schools bowed out, leaving Miami alone to carry the conference banner. 4) Three Big 12 schools received bids to the NCAA tournament, each of these schools (Texas Tech-Regular Season Champs, TCU-Tournament Champs, and Oklahoma State-5-0 in post-season) have survived and advanced all the way to Omaha. 5) Neither Virginia nor Vanderbilt survived home regionals in an effort to set up an identical title match for a third straight year. 5) Road teams won six total Regionals and five of the eight Super Regionals. 6) Louisville lost more home games in the Super Regional round than the entire 2016 regular season. 7) Coastal Carolina and UCSB defeated CWS regulars LSU and #2 National Seed Louisville to earn their first ever trips to Omaha. 8) The Chanticleers as lone team from SC to make the World Series, no disrespect to the Chants, but regulars Clemson (a national seed) and South Carolina (a two time champion) both appeared in better position to return. 9) Texas Tech has already been forced to play three elimination games. 10) Oklahoma state returns to Omaha for the first time in nearly 20 years, a surprising drought for one of college baseball’s best programs. 11) Five of this year’s eight College World Series teams, including top overall seed Florida, are still in search of their first National Championship. 12) There are less than 10 National Championship combined between everyone in this year’s field (Arizona (4), Miami (4), Oklahoma State (1). 13) TCU, the lone team making it three straight years in Omaha, had never appeared in the College World Series prior to 2010. 14) Coastal Carolina is the most powerful team in the field by sheer HR numbers, hitting 40 more on the year than any other club still alive. 15) Arizona will carry the flag for the Pac 12 and west coast baseball by virtue of finding a way to pull off a stunning extra inning victory against SEC Regular Season Champion Mississippi State in the Supers after surviving the Regionals by coming through the elimination side of the bracket in Lafayette 16) It’s amazing how quickly 70 years of collegiate baseball championships have flown by with this edition of the College World Series marking the time. From the intimacy of Rosenblatt Stadium and the annual summer thrills the classic old ballpark regularly provided to the grandeur embodied in the Series’ new downtown home, the truest joy has always been found in discovering the further surprises which still lie ahead as a completion of this yearly journey.

#1 Florida Gators

Southeastern Conference

(50-13)

Florida was ranked number one in the country pretty much wire to wire.

The Gators did not win their conference regular season, tournament or even their division, yet the talented pieces still in place have them headed into the NCAA Tournament as the favorite to win their first ever baseball national championship.

Regional Results

D Bethune Cookman 9-3 / D UConn 6-5 / D GT 10-1

Super Regional Opponent

Florida State

CWS History

No Titles – 9 Trips – Last Trip To Omaha: *2015*

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#2 Louisville Cardinals

Atlantic Coast Conference

(50-12)

Louisville is a complete team, they were the class of the field in the ACC all season.

The Cardinals are in search of a trip back to Omaha after missing the College World Series last year following a memorable but disappointing Super Regional showdown with Vandy. Louisville lost only a single home game all season.

Regional Results

D W. Michigan 6-1 / D Ohio St 15-3 / D Wright St 3-1

Super Regional Opponent

UC Santa Barbara

CWS History

No Titles – 3 Trips – Last Trip To Omaha: 2014

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#3 Miami Hurricanes

Atlantic Coast Conference

(48-11)

Miami is strong top to bottom, all the pieces are in place for another CWS appearance.

The Hurricanes are making their 44th straight NCAA tournament appearance, easily the record. Miami won three very close games to sweep through the Coral Gables regional. This is a team used to winning Omaha style contests.

Simply see the history below to understand how difficult the ‘Canes are to bounce from tournament action once they make it this deep.

Regional Results

D Stetson 4-2 / D Long Beach St 4-3 / D Long Beach St 9-8

Super Regional Opponent

Boston College

CWS History

4 Titles – 24 Trips – Last Trip To Omaha: *2015*

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#4 Texas A&M Aggies

Southeastern Conference

(48-14)

Texas A&M completed an impressive run through the SEC Tournament.

The Aggies are led by Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Boomer White. The Super Regional battle with White’s former club, TCU, a year ago was an absolute classic. Texas A&M was so close to Omaha they could taste it, dropping two extra inning games-including a 16 inning affair in the clincher. Winning the Super Regional this time around would provide A&M with a 50 win season.

Regional Results

D Binghamton 4-2 / D Wake Forest 22-2 / D Minnesota 8-2

Super Regional Opponent

TCU

CWS History

No Titles – 5 Trips – Last Trip To Omaha: 2011

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#5 Texas Tech Red Raiders

Big 12 Conference

(45-17)

Texas Tech is a powerful, offensive driven team.

The Red Raiders wrapped up the Big 12 Regular Season Championship early, claiming their first conference title since the late 1990’s. They are led by Big 12 Player of the Year in Senior first baseman Eric Gutierrez.

Regional Results

D Fairfield 12-1 / D New Mexico 4-3 / L DBU 10-6 / D DBU 5-3

Super Regional Opponent

East Carolina

CWS History

No Titles – 1 Trip – Only Trip To Omaha: 2014

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#6 Mississippi State Bulldogs

Southeastern Conference

(44-16-1)

Mississippi State won the SEC Regular Season Championship.

Led by team captain and Pre-Season All-American right-hander Dakota Hudson, the Bulldogs are a force to be reckoned with, especially when playing at home in Starkville. With pop up and down the lineup alongside solid pitching, Mississippi State boast one of the most complete multi-dimensional teams remaining in the tournament.

Regional Results

D SE MO St 9-5 / D Cal St Fullerton 4-1 / D La Tech 4-0

Super Regional Opponent

Arizona

CWS History

No Titles – 9 Trips – Last Trip To Omaha: 2013

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#8 LSU Tigers

Atlantic Coast Conference

(45-19)

LSU entered tournament action as one of the hottest teams in the country.

The Tigers won 13 of their final 15 regular season games. A stellar pitching duo of Alex Lange and Jared Poche complement the offensive punch of Jake Fraley and Kramer Robertson very well. This year’s edition of the club entered play very young, but they’ve come into their own maturity-wise down the stretch. The Tigers are always a tough team to reckon with come tourney time, especially down on the Bayou.

Regional Results

D Utah Valley 7-1 / D Rice 4-2 / L Rice 10-6 / D Rice 5-2

Super Regional Opponent

Coastal Carolina

CWS History

6 Titles – 17 Trips – Last Trip To Omaha: *2015*

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The “Profile” section will highlight key figures (past and present) who have impacted the game. Here you will find in-depth accounts of individuals and clubs who have helped shape the game both on and off the field.

›Baseball has its Super 16. The field has narrowed from 64 to just 16 schools after a memorable regional weekend. Here is a look at the breakdown of those who remain. The ACC’s allotment was cut by more than half, with 4 of the 10 schools advancing forward. 5 of the SEC’s record 7 host teams also advanced to the second round. The Big 12 made the most of its limited opportunities. All 3 schools from the conference (Texas Tech, TCU and Oklahoma State) won regionals to stay alive. Adding in the Arizona Wildcats as the lone Pac 12 team still in the hunt reveals that 13 of the 16 clubs remaining come from Power 5 conferences. The American Athletic (East Carolina), Big South (Coastal Carolina) and Big West (UC-Santa Barbara) provided the final three entries to the Super Regional round.
›7 of 8 National Seeds advance, host Super Regionals. Clemson became the only National Seed to exit when the seventh seeded Tigers were knocked off by Oklahoma State at home. As a result South Carolina becomes the only non national seed to host a super regional. Most national seeds won their regionals with ease. Fifth ranked Texas Tech and eight seeded LSU faced the biggest scares, as both were forced into decisive second games of their respective regional finals. Florida (#1), Louisville (#2), Miami (#3), Texas A&M (#4) and Mississippi State (#6) all cruised through the regional round with unbeaten marks.

›There will be a new championship series in Omaha. With both Virginia and Vanderbilt eliminated, the College World Series is assured of a new Championship matchup for the first time since 2013. The Cavaliers and Commodores had traded titles each of the past two seasons. Their departure leaves the championship battle wide open for a brand new flavor when the eight regional winners arrive in Omaha Father’s day weekend.

›Weather left its mark on the first weekend of tournament action. A number of storms sweeping through the southeast forced as many games to Tuesday this year as had been played beyond regional championship Monday in the past decade. The Baton Rouge regional faced storms early and never had a chance to get on track, while South Carolina saw storms roll through late, forcing the final regional championship battle back to Tuesday. Perhaps nowhere was play affected more dramatically than Raleigh. A Monday night delay stretched the ninth inning over into Tuesday. The Wolfpack went to bed three outs away from the Super Regionals and leading by two runs, only to see Coastal Carolina steal away the regional with a four run final frame following the resumption.

›Florida, LSU, Miami and TCU are the remaining group from last year’s CWS participants. Seven teams from last year’s college world series received regional berths, Arkansas was the only team failing to make a return trip to the NCA tournament. Seven quickly dwindled to four this past weekend as Virginia, Vanderbilt and Cal St Fullerton were all knocked off in regional play. With the 4 remaining teams each playing in different Super Regionals, the bracket allows for half the ’15 field to return to Omaha with series victories this weekend.

›A pair of clubs will appear in Super Regionals for the first time. Congratulations to Boston College and UC Santa Barbara. The Eagles and Gauchos are appearing in Super Regionals for the very first time in each school’s history. In a year where both northern and western NCAA Tournament bids proved even harder than usual to come by, these clubs claimed regional titles. As a result, they will carry the mantle for those two baseball regions. Arizona is the only team besides these two which plays its home games west of Texas or north of Kentucky still with a post-season pulse following the first round.

›Intriguing showdowns dot the southern landscape on Super Regional weekend. Both the Sunshine State and the Lone Star State are provided with rivalry rematch series as Florida-Florida State and Texas A&M-TCU highlight the pairings. Boston College travels to Miami in an all-ACC battle which assures their conference at least one team in Omaha. Mississippi State is the most recent school to play for the title without having ever won a crown, they’ll face Arizona, now the most recent winner among teams still fighting. Fans will also be keeping an eye on Cinderella schools like UCSB and Coastal Carolina as they square off against powerhouses Louisville and LSU. The offensive battle between Texas Tech and East Carolina contrasts nicely with the pitching rich paradise in Columbia, South Carolina where both club’s offensive impact will be put to the test as the Cowboys of Oklahoma State come to town rounding out the three game Super Regional showdowns. No less than a spot in Omaha and shot at the National Title will be on the line when these schools tangle this weekend, expect the very best.

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“First Glances” provides a weekly snapshot of the story lines impacting the hunt for Omaha and the 2016 National Championship with quick-hit headlines from around the country.

The current edition of the spotlight shines on the Super 16.

Before the impact players and key moments emerge and the national championship picture takes shape, it’s worth a look at the specific battles through which this season’s memorable college baseball post-season stories will unfold.

Tickets for Omaha will be punched this weekend with eight separate three game series beginning Friday and Saturday.

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SUPER REGIONALS

#1 Florida Gators vs Florida State Seminoles

SEC vs ACC

Saturday – Monday * Gainesville, Florida

One of two instate rivalry rematches with far more than bragging rights on the line, this series also features the number one overall national seeded Florida Gators. Both Sunshine state teams cruised through their regionals with 3-0 marks to set up the highly anticipated showdown. The Gators enter with 50 wins already posted on the season after a tough closing stretch in the SEC, while FSU rides the momentum of a strong showing and runner up finish in the ACC’s round robin tournament to close out the regular year. They are also fresh of an eighteen run offensive display in the regional final victory over South Alabama. It has been a forty win campaign overall in Tallahassee to this point, though as always you can throw the records out when these two get together. The ‘Noles and Gators met in three mid-week contest this year, with Florida sweeping the season series.

#2 Louisville Cardinals vs UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

ACC vs Big West

Saturday – Monday * Louisville, Kentucky

This series boasts the only team besides the national #1 seed to have already accumulated 50 wins on the year. Many believe the Cardinals also possess the most complete team top to bottom in the entire tournament. They face the surprise of the field. Santa Barbara claimed the Nashville Regional left open by Vanderbilt’s early departure amidst tragic circumstances last weekend. It was a hard fought win for the Gauchos, as they were forced to fend off talented Washington and Xavier squads to survive and advance. The host school was barely tested in the regional round and enters with a ton of confidence as a result. This series marks the first ever Super Regional appearance in Santa Barbara history. Louisville pursues Omaha from the Supers perch for a sixth time overall, this time carrying the flag for the ACC, a conference seeking a second straight title following a five decade drought.

#3 Miami Hurricanes vs Boston College Eagles

ACC vs ACC

Friday – Sunday * Coral Gables, Florida

This series assures the ACC of at least one team in Omaha. Miami would have come as no surprise entering tournament play, the Eagles of Boston College are another story entirely. Remember the football classic between these two? One can only hope this lone conference battle of Supers weekend be just as thrilling. BC is one of two clubs (UCSB) making a first ever Super Regional appearance. They are also carrying the banner for all northern teams at this point, as the only club with a home ballpark north of the Kentucky line still alive in the NCAA Tourney. This team won the Oxford regional, considered by many as one of the tougher draws in the country. They outlasted the host Rebels, Pac 12 champs Utah and a scrappy Tulane club to move forward. The Eagles have two legit aces at the front end of their rotation in Stephens and Dunn. That tandem must pitch as well on this second weekend as they did in the first if BC hopes to unseat the program with more tournament experience than anyone in history. The #3 nationally seeded Hurricanes have a complete team and have given fans in South Florida every reason to expect an even deeper run through their 44th straight NCAA Tourney appearance.

#4 Texas A&M Aggies vs TCU Horned Frogs

SEC vs Big 12

Friday – Sunday * College Station, Texas

Look no farther than the recent Super Regional history between these teams for the reason not to miss a single pitch of this showdown. Last season’s Super Regional edition of this in-state rivalry was held in Fort Worth. Two of the three games required extra innings, with the clincher going sixteen frames before the home team celebrated with a traditional dog pile en route to a second straight Omaha trip. It’s a battle of conference tournament champions. Beyond that it’s an old school Big 12 crew (now an SEC power) vs the new baseball standard bearer. TCU won the tournament title this time around, doing that in extra inning fashion also. They’ve quickly become the Big 12’s most consistent club since entering the conference. The Aggies can reach 50 wins on the season by clinching the series, it will take yet another trip to Omaha for the 45 win Frogs to chase that mark. TCU has become a bit more of an offensive club this season than traditionally. SEC Player of the Year Boomer White (who not that long ago played in Omaha for the Frogs) has made sure the same holds true for the host team. He’s fresh off leading the Aggies to the SEC Tournament title and quickly through the regional round. For all the offensive fire power, starting pitching could tip the scales. This much is certain, Blue Bell Ballpark will be a tough ticket this weekend for a true showdown, Lone Star style.

#5 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs East Carolina Pirates

Big 12 vs American Athletic

Friday – Sunday * Lubbock, Texas

They’re still playing in West Texas too by the way. The Big 12 champs and only national seed to come from outside of the powerful ACC/SEC bubble has their guns up to remind everyone that their 45 win club is still kicking. Tech ran away with the regular season conference crown, then survived a scare from DBU in the Lubbock Regional by winning game two of the finals for advancement. It’s a heavy hitting Red Raiders group which paced the Big 12 in HR’s with 50 on the season. It’s impossible to sleep on a team with conference player of the year Eric Gutierrez in the lineup. East Carolina won the Charlottesville regional hosted by the defending national champions. If that doesn’t provide Pirate fans with enough confidence, consider that Coach Cliff Godwin has Omaha experience, making it to the College World Series as an Ole Miss assistant before taking over at his Alma Mater to the tune of instant success. ECU had already beaten Virginia two out of three in Charlottesville prior to tournament action last week, a sign of how battle tested they were all season. For ECU to succeed they’ll have to go from unseating a team which secured the ACC’s first title in decades (as a 3 seed ironically enough), to knocking off a group which secured a first Big 12 title in nearly twenty years. In case you’re wondering the Pirates and BC Eagles are the only three seeds remaining in the tourney.

#6 Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Arizona Wildcats

SEC vs Pac 12

Friday – Sunday * Starkville, Mississippi

The SEC regular season champs remain home for the Super Regional round, but with a very difficult challenge. If BC is carrying the flag for the northern teams, Arizona is certainly doing the same for the power conference clubs out west. As an at-large team which did not close out the year with an incredibly impressive stretch run, the Wildcats seemed to finally put it all together in the final few games of the Lafayette regional. Remember, this is a team that won the national title just a few short years ago. Even though it is a new crop of ‘Cats, the experience of having been there still pays dividends for a staff and a program. That should also come as good news for a Mississippi State team in search of a return to Omaha for the first time since the 2013 club appeared in the championship series against UCLA. Barely tested in the regional round, the Bulldogs will once again have all the comforts of Starkville to provide an additional boost in what should be a very entertaining series between clubs with a history of post-season success.

#8 LSU Tigers vs Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

SEC vs Big South

Saturday – Monday * Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Two of the hottest teams in the country will square off down on the Bayou. LSU is 16-3 since the rally possum showed up on that fateful Saturday night and sparked a come from behind SEC win. Though it has more to do with timely offense and solid pitching, there is much to be said for the Bayou Bengals finish to the regular season after starting just 2-5 in SEC play. Jake Fraley and Kramer Robertson pace a potent offense, while the solid 1-2 punch of Alex Lange and Jared Poche in the rotation has been effective. Coastal Carolina will enter one of the toughest environments in all of college baseball, yet they do so with maybe the most momentum in the entire tournament. After entering their final at bat trailing by two runs, the Chanticleers used a four run frame (part of a ninth inning which was interrupted and postponed a day by rain) to knock off their neighbors from the Carolina to the north. Winning the Raleigh regional over NC State in dramatic fashion was just the latest chapter in what has been another impressive season for the Chants. If any offense from a mid-major conference has the power to keep up with LSU, perhaps it is Coastal Carolina. They finished second in all of Division I baseball with 89 homers in the regular season. The Big South champions have a rare combination of power, speed and post-season experience which could make things interesting for a Tigers team in pursuit of Omaha for a second straight year.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs Oklahoma State Cowboys

SEC vs Big 12

Saturday – Monday * Columbia, South Carolina

Pitching has been the catalyst to the success of both Oklahoma State and South Carolina. Don’t think for a moment, however, that it is wise to sleep on teams that combined to score 78 runs in their regional games. Keep in mind, Oklahoma state only had to play three contests. The Cowboys swept through the Clemson regional, depriving fans of another all Palmetto State showdown and ousting the 7th overall National Seed in the process. Oklahoma state exhibited tremendous depth on the mound in making quick work of the Tigers (twice) and Cornhuskers (in the opening game). The OSU victory secured the Big 12 a perfect 3 for 3 regional showing. They join Texas Tech and TCU as conference comrades still fighting for a trip to Omaha. South Carolina became only the second SEC host team in history to drop its first game of the tournament and battle back to win the regional. After falling to the fourth seeded Rams of Rhode Island in the opener, the Gamecocks eliminated Duke, Rhode Island and high-powered UNC-Wilmington en route to their latest Super Regional appearance. For a club that missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 1990’s a year ago, the host school looks to be a team on a mission. 43 of South Carolina’s 51 regional runs were scored on Sunday and Tuesday to close out the run. They will need Friday night starter Clarke Schmidt to return to form in order to matchup well with a Cowboys squad which relies heavily on strong pitching and solid defense.

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“The Eye” will regularly shine a spotlight on specific players, coaches or teams worthy of attention for their efforts in the past week across the landscape of college baseball. Our spotlight is the place to keep up with the key performers and performances on the journey toward the World Series.

Daily Observations from the Regional Round

Regional Friday

It’s an annual holiday for baseball fans, regional weekend has finally arrived. Think on this: across the next four days somewhere between the required 96 and 112 potential ballgames will be played across the county. If you love this game, it is music to your ears. If any of the regional sites are within reach, it’s a chance to catch 6 or 7 of those battles for yourself as a part of what should be a very entertaining weekend.

While it provides so much joy and demands so much passion, baseball is just a game. The game instantly becomes secondary when the the type of sad and tragic news which came this week for a couple of clubs puts things in perspective. The baseball world mourns the loss of nineteen year old Vanderbilt pitcher Donny Everett, as well as, long time Minnesota pitching coach Todd Oakes. Certainly the thoughts of everyone involved in this game in any way go out these families and the communities so uniquely and personally touched by their lives and and their passing.

Day One serves as a reminder that any focus on heavyweight Super showdowns must wait. While “wait and see what happens, because anything can happen” seems like a basic appeal to common sense, the natural tendency for anyone with a bracket in hand requires a glance forward to a some very appealing potential Super Regional matchups on the Road To Omaha. However, as usual, the day one results provided a dose of “regional reality” which put any thoughts in that direction quickly on ice. Florida vs Florida State, South Carolina vs Clemson, Texas A&M vs TCU, UL-Laffeyette vs Mississippi State and Vanderbilt vs Louisville are all potential top seed pairings carefully crafted by the NCAA selection committee. Before setting your travel plans in stone for next weekend, consider that SEC powers South Carolina and Vanderbilt lost right out of the gate, while national seeds Miami and Texas A&M were pushed to the brink in their respective openers. These are solid reminders of the simplest truths, that “Regionals precede Super Regionals” and the best laid plans can often go out the window immediately after the first pitch is thrown. It’s a pretty safe bet that these next few days of baseball still have a number of key surprises left.

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Regional Saturday

The field is beginning to dwindle. 15 Teams have been eliminated from the 64 team field, highlighted by two of the seven SEC host schools. The Ole Miss Rebels and aforementioned Vanderbilt Commodores (an athletic family facing challenges which are far greater than anything related to the secondary baseball element) are among the highly regarded teams already bounced from the tournament following the first day of elimination contests.

Weather continues to leave its mark on adjusted regional schedules, especially in the western-most locations. Why were only fifteen (and not the usual 16) teams dispatched as part of elimination Saturday? Weather. Ten of the sixteen regionals have been impacted by weather in some way. A twelve hour rain delay in Lafayette, Louisiana wreaked havoc on the schedule in Ragin Cajun land. Still, the LSU regional in Baton Rouge has experienced the worst of it. As a result, all four teams are still alive on the Bayou with two clubs (Rice and Southeastern Louisiana) still looking to complete their initial game of tournament play.

Speaking of the limited action west of the Mississippi, West Coast clubs are making their presence known- as expected. You had the feeling the the limited number of teams from the Pacific region would be playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Whether it was the regional snub, long travel requirements, or simply what has likely been perceived as a general lack of respect for the current state of west coast baseball, this is a group which seems to collectively feel they have something to prove. So far, so good. Clubs like Santa Barbara, Long Beach St, Gonzaga, Washington, Utah, New Mexico and Cal St Fullerton have all picked up wins and fared well enough to remain in position to make some noise moving forward.

The Eight National Seeds have preformed well for the most part across the first two days. Clemson became the only national seed to suffer a loss across the tournament’s first two days, falling at the hands of Oklahoma State in a second round game. The other seven national seeds are a combined 13-0 thus far.

As always, there are a few surprises heading into Sunday. As teams claimed control of regional play Saturday, a handful of Super Regional hopefuls emerged as this year’s early surprises. Non-top seeded teams in the drivers seat of their respective brackets are: Coastal Carolina (Raleigh), Boston College (Oxford), East Carolina (Charlottesville), Oklahoma State (Clemson), UNC-Wilmington (Columbia). Each of these teams has punched a ticket to the regional final and must be beaten twice on Sunday and Monday by the eventual survivor on the elimination side of the bracket.

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Regional Sunday

Over half the field is in place for the Super Regional round. 10 regional winners were unbeaten, posting perfect 3-0 records to advance. With Sunday’s results, 3 pairings are set for next weekend. Top overall national seed Florida will face rival Florida State in Gainesville. Texas A&M will host the lone star showdown with TCU in a rematch of last year’s thrilling Super held in Fort Worth. Miami hosts conference rival Boston College. The Eagles will be making their Super Regional debut in South Florida, with the matchup assuring the ACC of at least one team in Omaha. The four other teams to clinch Super Regional berths were Louisville, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State and East Carolina. These schools await Monday’s results to learn of their opponent.

There will be a new national title matchup for the first time since 2013. With the departure of the defending National Champs, the college baseball world is now assured of an all new Championship Series matchup. Virginia followed Vanderbilt with a quick exit from their home regional following a loss at the hands of in-state rival William & Mary on Sunday. The Cavaliers and Commodores played for the title each of the last two years, trading NCAA Championships.

Clemson becomes the first National Seed to exit. The Tigers were awarded a home regional and the seventh overall seed following impressive play during the ACC’s year-end round robin event which closed out the season. Despite scoring thirty-nine runs in two games against Western Carolina, they could not solve the mystery of Oklahoma State pitching (the Tigers were held to just two runs in each loss). The other seven National Seeds are still alive, with five (including the top 4) having already advanced to Supers. In order to keep all other National Seeds in tact, Texas Tech will need a win against DBU in a winner take all second championship game, while LSU simply must remain strong in the wether delayed Baton Rouge regional.

13 teams awake in search of 6 remaining Super Regional spots on Monday. The aforementioned Patriots of DBU joined South Carolina in forcing winner-take-all championships games in their respective regionals. Weather pushed back scheduling in the other four regional finals. Rice and Southeastern Louisiana will begin the day with an elimination game for the right to take a final shot at LSU. The other regional title battles for today include: NC State vs unbeaten Coastal Carolina in Raleigh, Arizona vs unbeaten host Louisiana-Laffayette and Xavier vs unbeaten UC-Santa Barbara in Nashville. Weather permitting, Monday’s results will leave only 16 college baseball teams standing in the pursuit of Omaha.

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Regional Monday – (in this case Monday-Tuesday)

As is so often the situation in baseball, 3 became the operable number. 1) Just that many spots still remained in the Super Regional round when the curtain dropped, or perhaps more appropriately once the rain fell on Monday night. 2) Three regionals in the past decade had required a Tuesday game to settle the winner, the same number of games were pushed to Tuesday to complete the field this season. Between a trio of capitol cities (Raleigh, NC, Columbia, SC and Baton Rouge, LA) action was extended one more day. It would be the Gamecocks and Tigers advancing out of their own SEC hosted regionals. As for the other… 3) Three was also the total number of days it took for NC State and Coastal Carolina to complete an absolute classic of a Regional Final matchup. The Chanticleers won the spot in dramatic fashion, at one point down to their final strike and ultimately needing an extended rain delay to set the stage for a four run ninth inning comeback, the club from South Carolina’s coast took down the regional hosts to advance.

7 of 8 national seeds advanced to the Super Regional round. After all the regionals were completed, Clemson stood as the only National Seed to be dispatched in the opening round. Seven of the sixteen Supers will be hosted by those still in place, including the Florida-Florida state and Texas A&M-TCU showdowns

13 of the 16 remaining schools are from the “Power Conferences.” The ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Pac 12 all have representatives . 5 of the 7 SEC host schools  survived and advanced. The ACC’s contingency was cut in half (from 10 teams to 5), though the Miami-BC Super Regional will assure the conference of at least one team in Omaha. How about the Big 12? A perfect 3 for 3 in the regional round as National Seed Texas Tech advanced alongside both TCU (at home) and Oklahoma State (over Clemson).

›2016 NCAA Tournament Field is set. The pairings for this season’s edition of the NCAA Tourney have been finalized. The ACC and SEC were heavily represented. Ten ACC teams and seven SEC teams made the field, including 13 of 16 regional hosts and 7 of 8 national seeds between the two conferences. After weeks of discussion, speculation and anticipation, the actual national seeds have been announced. They are: 1) Florida 2) Louisville 3) Miami 4) Texas A&M 5) Texas Tech 6) Mississippi State 7) Clemson 8) LSU.

›There will be a distinct “Southern” feel to the regionals. The Southeastern Conference sets a new record, becoming the first conference ever to have seven #1 seeds host regionals in the same season. As if that isn’t enough, no regional games will be played west of the Lone Star State or north of the commonwealths of Kentucky and Virginia. It marks the first time sine the mid-90’s without a single west coast regional.

›28 of the 31 conferences have a new champion. Only three clubs were able to successfully defend their league titles from 2015. Cal State Fullerton (Big West), Oral Roberts (Summit) and Louisiana Lafayette (Sunbelt) shared that rare air once the dust settled on conference tournament baseball and this year’s automatic bids were officially handed out. The parity in college baseball has made it increasingly difficult to repeat success from one season to the next.

›Four teams will make their first appearance in the NCAA Tourney. Congratulations to Alabama State, Fairfield, St Mary’s (California) and Utah Valley. There is nothing quite like punching your post-season ticket for the first time. The tournament debuts will be made in the Tallahassee (Alabama State), Lubbock (Fairfield), Raleigh (St. Mary’s) and Baton Rouge (Utah Valley) regionals respectively.

›Florida secures the #1 overall national seed. Though the Gators came up short for both the regular season and SEC tournament titles, their dominance in the polls for the majority of the season was rewarded with the top seed. Mississippi State won the regular season conference title, South Carolina finished atop the Eastern Division and Texas A&M defeated the orange and blue on Sunday to claim the SEC post-season crown. Still, with all the highly regarded pieces in place, Florida enters regional play as the favorite to win the College World Series.

“First Glances” provides a weekly snapshot of the story lines impacting the hunt for the National Championship with quick-hit headlines from around the country.