2025 College World Series Team Profiles
Arizona Wildcats
Arkansas Razorbacks
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
LSU Tigers
Louisville Cardinals
Murray State Racers
Oregon State Beavers
UCLA Bruins
***Keep an “eye” on the Road To Omaha page beginning Memorial Day.***
**Fresh content related to the 2025 national championship pursuit will begin with the release of the NCAA Tournament Bracket.**
*Full coverage across the entire Eye On CWS site will roll out June 13th once the CWS field is set.*
2024
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2024 College World Series Team Profiles
Virginia Cavaliers
North Carolina Tarheels
Florida State Seminoles
Tennessee Volunteers
Kentucky Wildcats
NC State Wolfpack
Florida Gators
Texas A&M Aggies
***Keep an “eye” on the Road To Omaha page beginning Memorial Day.***
**Fresh content related to the 2024 national championship pursuit will begin May 27th with the release of the NCAA Tournament Bracket.**
*Full coverage across the entire Eye On CWS site will roll out June 14th once the CWS field is set.*
2023
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2023 CWS FINALS
OMAHA, NE -The 2023College Baseball National Championship Series features an all-SEC showdown between the Louisiana State University Tigers and the University of Florida Gators in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
2023 College World Series Snapshots
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Florida Gators
LSU Tigers
Virginia Cavaliers
Stanford Cardinal
TCU Horned Frogs
Tennessee Volunteers
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
2022 College World Series Snapshots
Ole Miss Rebels
Auburn Tigers
Arkansas Razorbacks
Stanford Cardinal
Texas Longhorns
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Texas A&M Aggies
Oklahoma Sooners
2021
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2021 CWS FINALS – TEAM SNAPSHOTS
OMAHA, NE -The 2021 College Baseball National Championship Series features an all-SEC showdown between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Vanderbilt Commodores in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Vanderbilt Commodores
2021 CWS TEAM SNAPSHOTS
Texas Longhorns
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Virginia Cavaliers
Tennessee Volunteers
Vanderbilt Commodores
Arizona Wildcats
Stanford Cardinal
NC State Wolfpack
2021 Regular Season
Go Time For Teams With Omaha Dreams
The NCAA is expected to announce the sixteen host sites for the upcoming renewal of the college baseball post-season at some point during the week of May 10th. For teams hoping to secure an inside track to Omaha, the days ahead provide the final opportunities to impress key decision makers.
Aside from the much earlier host sites announcement, the upcoming NCAA Division I Baseball Championship will follow the familiar formula. Regional play will begin Friday June 4th and run through Monday June 7th. The sixteen teams emerging from these pre-determined host sites will meet in best-of-three format Super Regionals the following weekend on campus sites (June 11th-14th) with the winners advancing to the 2021 College World Series.
The entire field for the 2021 “Road To Omaha” will be revealed on Memorial Day. The selection show is scheduled for Noon ET. College World Series play is slated to begin at Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Park on Saturday June 19th.
2020
For the first time since its inception, there will be no College World Series. The NCAA released the follwoing statement on March 12th canceling all remaining championships for the spring semester:
“Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.”
This decision obviously includes the 2020 Division I Baseball Championship. The College World Series had taken place every year since its establishment in 1947. It has been held in Omaha since 1950.
2019
Tim Corbin and Eric Bakich will take the same field wearing different uniforms for the first time in the National Championship Series.
Old Friends Turned Championship Competitors
Tim Corbin is quick to tell anyone willing to listen that “Vanderbilt is not Vanderbilt without Eric Bakich.” Eric Bakich does not hesitate in confirming that the blue print for his success at Michigan came directly from their time together in Nashville.
Bakich was on Corbin’s Vandy coaching staff for nearly a decade prior to becoming a head coach and eventually accepting his current post in Ann Arbor. He has used the things he learned there so effectively, the two will meet in Omaha for the National Championship this week. Their mentor-protégée relationship goes much deeper than baseball and extends even further than the time together in the Music City.
From the moment an even more youthful Bakich pulled into a parking lot on the campus of Clemson University in 2002 to join Jack Leggett’s high profile staff alongside the likes of Corbin and Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan; they both knew the relationship would last a lifetime. Bakich opened his trunk full of agility equipment in pursuit of a meaningful role as either a coach or trainer. In reality, he was opening a window into his passion and work ethic for Tim Corbin, a passion which the veteran head coach rates as second to none.
One year later, the duo left for Vanderbilt together. Bakich would remain with Corbin from 2003-2009, when he departed for the head coaching job at Maryland. They have remained in direct contact all along the way. Their entire families remains extremely close.
Bakich speaks of Corbin as much like a father figure as a coaching mentor. “I’ve learned so much from him about what it means to be a father and a husband,” he stated earlier this week. Extending the compliment, “Vanderbilt was always destined to be the skyscraper it is today because of the commitment level of Tim and his wife Maggie.”
The two coaches share an uncommon depth of mutual respect and admiration. When Michigan picked up its first win at this year’s College World Series, Tim Corbin slipped quietly into the back of the press room and caught Bakich’s eye with a simple smile and a raised fist of support.
It was clear they were rooting for each other, as pleased with the other’s success as their own, until now. The line is now drawn clearly in the sand and they will both be attempt to bring the 2019 CWS trophy home for their respective programs.
Yes, high stakes baseball is at play in the National Championship Series. The two professionals will treat it as such. For these two old friends, however, it is as much about lasting memories and realized dreams. They are making sure to soak it all in.
The young Michigan coach didn’t mind opening up on this scenario being a dream come true, “we’ve talked about it and we always said if we are going to meet, we wanted it to be here.” Now that it has happened, Tim Corbin provide perspective on their shared sentiments this way, “we’re just happy our teams have played well enough to allow our families the opportunity to spend this extended time together.”
Coach Corbin called being at the “pinnacle” together, “special.” The journey here for these two head coaches has certainly been that.
The two programs are in many ways mirror images of one another. Their game management approaches are completely intertwined. With styles so similar, minds so in tune, with teams so stout, this once in a lifetime meeting between coaching comrades should be extremely fun to watch.
A Familiar Final Four
The 2019 NCAA Final Four in both basketball and baseball feature one flagship member institution from each of the same four Power Five conferences. ACC, Big 10, Big 12 and SEC fans are geared up and dialed in once again this semi-final weekend for a shot at the College World Series title.
Texas Tech was also among those competing for basketball supremacy. Michigan watched their bitter rivals from East Lansing seize the hardwood spotlight. The Spartans would fall to a feisty crew out of Lubbock in the national semis. The Great Lakes and Lone Star states are paired up again in Omaha.
It was ultimately the ACC squad, Virginia, in rabbit out of the hat style on more than one occasion, standing atop the podium to hoist the trophy in Minneapolis. Five hours south and three months later, the lone remaining Atlantic Coast Conference school, Louisville, needed some Thursday night magic of their own to reach the weekend.
Auburn was there as the SEC representative in March. Though War Eagle nation also made the return trip to the Midwest along with a trio of their conference comrades, hopes now rest solely on Vanderbilt down South. The Commodores entered the stretch run as the favorite. Not only are they the highest remaining seed in the tournament, they were hands down the best SEC team this season. The Vandy Boys swept the regular season and tournament crowns in conference play.
As we learned amidst the “madness” to close out winter, all that can often mean very little when the confetti falls. It will be an outdoor dog pile under the expansive summer sky in downtown Omaha, but the point is well taken, the passion all the same. This time around so are the four premier conferences still around to settle it.
The Story As Yet Un-Written
The redemptive qualities of baseball are well documented. They are among the most attractive elements of the sport. The potential for these qualities to be on display prominently at this year’s College World Series? Perhaps even greater than usual.
Think of Arkansas. The Hogs are back in Omaha nearly a year to the day after a heartbreaking national runner-up finish. Razorback Nation had their hands all but wrapped around the trophy in the most recent edition of the grueling pursuit of glory that is the NCAA Baseball Tournament. But for the apparent final out landing foul in Game Two of the National Championship Series, the “OmaHogs” would be returning to college baseball’s pinnacle as defenders of the title.
Ponder the career of Mike Martin. For all its highs, and there have been four decades worth of historic highs, the one missing piece is the National Championship. The long-time Florida State head coach doesn’t need it for his role in the history and growth of the sport to be set in stone, but that doesn’t make him want it any less.
Success in Omaha is so often elusive, even for the game’s all-time winningest skipper. Imagine the celebration at TD Ameritrade Park and all across the landscape of baseball if the seventeenth trip is in fact the charm for “Eleven” and a College World Series title becomes the final chapter in his one-of-a-kind journey.
Mississippi State is a team on the unfinished business tour. Remember the rally banana fever this team brought to the Midwest a season ago? The club was firmly in the driver’s seat on their side of the bracket before eventual champion Oregon State knocked them from that perch en route to the title.
The adversity that comes with navigating constant change brought about by playing for four different coaches in their college careers has not stalled the progress of this talented and resilient bunch. The Starkville crew believes they still have much to prove. Their eyes are squarely on the prize in an effort to close the deal this time around.
Louisville and Texas Tech are suddenly making standing hotel reservations here each June, reaching Omaha as often as not in recent years. Yet, both have found it difficult to get over the hump in CWS play. Each time these new baseball powers have arrived here in pursuit of the title someone else has pitched just a little better or secured the timely hit that has eluded both programs to this point.
It’s a game of failure. The best of the best fail seven times out of ten and are successful at the plate somewhere around 3. It prepares you for the challenges of life itself.
Auburn used the path of redemption just to get here. War Eagle nation looked on in pain as a walk-off home run, in and out of right-fielder Steven Willams’ glove before clearing the fence, prevented a trip to Omaha in ‘18. Their Tigers ended up the final team eliminated in the Super Regional round a year ago when the ball simply bounced the wrong way late on a fateful Monday night in Gainesville.
Now consider that none other that same outfielder, Steven Williams secured his own walk-off home run to complete the miracle comeback which eventually propelled Auburn to the championship of the Atlanta Regional. Taking it one step further, the pitcher who gave up that unusual home run last season, Cody Greenhill, was the “on the hill” for the Super Regional clinching moment in Chapel Hill.
The spiritual connotations are clear. Moments like these often leave baseball fans speechless, with much to contemplate.
The Tigers have handled an entirely different brand of off-the-field adversity. Just prior to the start of their post-season run, long-time radio broadcaster Rod Bramblett and his wife were taken from the Auburn family as result of a tragic car accident. He had provided the Auburn fan base a consistent voice for such triumphant moments since 1993.
The heavy-hearted student-athletes on the Auburn roster have been instructed admirably by their coaching staff to honor the memory of an Auburn hero and never exploit it. This is wise counsel for everyone involved, solid advice that should be heeded in all such circumstances.
It is hard though, not to believe something extra special has been a part of guiding this team successfully and magically down the Road To Omaha. They are back in the College World Series for the first time in twenty-two years.
Ah, “Road To Omaha,” the path to a championship, it is a long and winding one. Inherent in that path are pitfalls and pain. However, for those willing to step up the plate, the rewards are priceless.
In a year marked by the running theme of redemption, should fans be surprised if this final NCAA championship of the 2018-2019 athletic season follows one more redemptive tune?
After all, Tony Bennett’s Virginia Cavaliers hoisted the trophy at the 2019 Final Four just one year removed from being on the undesirable side of history. The two schools Virginia faced in Minneapolis (Texas Tech, Auburn), have made the trip to Omaha as well. Perhaps a bit of Foreshadowing?
This tournament, with its magical moments and Cinderella stories, with its heart-stopping turns and improbable finishes, can be likened to March Madness in so many ways. It might be worth expecting, or at least considering, a fitting follow up.
The message from these College World Series coaches has been clear and consistent. Do not be defined by the past. This is your new day, your fresh chance. The challenge has been laid out there plainly. Write your own story. Across the next two weeks someone will.
Photo courtesy Leah Carmen / Eye On CWS
A Very Special Father’s Day In Omaha
Thirty years ago an ageless Shoeless Joe Jackson hit the big screen to pose the question, “Is this Heaven?” The ballplayer’s inquiry came in reference to a magical baseball diamond in the heart of America’s midwestern cornfields.
Turned out it was Iowa, which happens to sit just across the river. Considering what happens in Omaha with the return of summer, these sacred grounds at the center of our country and in the forefront of our national consciousness for two weeks each June surely provide at least a window into heaven.
If heaven is, as the motion picture’s climactic moment submits, “the place where dreams come true,” then perhaps we are blessed with a rare glimpse each time we gather here. Maybe such opportunities exist in countless places on numerous occasions for those willing to simply open their eyes.
On the anniversary of the feature film which explores the relationship between fathers and sons in connection with our national pastime, it seems appropriate that College Baseball’s “Field of Dreams” is open for business and filled beyond capacity with dreamers once more.
Take a look inside the Florida State dugout. Four decades into his tenure, Mike Martin still dreams of a championship. Having devoted so much of his life to this game, the coaching legend has saddled up for one final ride as the sun begins to set on his record breaking career.
It is clear that he still cherishes every moment and still values every opportunity. The grandfatherly figure is not shy about admitting how much he has relished the chance to glance out at third base where his son journeys alongside him in the family’s chosen profession.
Having originally played for his dad in Tallahassee, Mike Martin Jr has since enjoyed 22 years on his staff. The triumphant moment they shared just this past weekend in Baton Rouge was only the latest in a travel chest full of lifetime memories.
Mike Martin has been wearing a college baseball uniform from the time John F. Kennedy was in the White House. With well over 2,000 wins between there and here, ‘Ol Number Eleven is in the process of putting the finishing touches on his legendary career with an eye still trained squarely upon what really matters.
“It’s okay to get a little emotional,” he reminded everyone on Friday, indicating that Father’s Day is once again upon us as an occasion worth doing so. Omaha is a special place, on Father’s Day even more so.
The unique relationship between fathers and sons is always on display at the College World Series. They fill the stands, walk the concourse, and enjoy the game. They compare notes, contemplate the outcomes and strengthen their personal bond over a Zesto milkshake.
They have often competed on the field at the highest level. They almost always share an extended embrace at the end of the journey, no matter the outcome. They stand as a reminder that so much of what happens here transcends the game.
Consider the three generations of Wolverines having worn the Maize and Blue right here in Omaha. John, now the grandfather, was part of a championship winning squad in the 60’s. His son and current Michigan first-baseman Jimmy Kerr’s father, Derek, played on the most recent team to reach the CWS in the 1980’s. As for Jimmy, he tripled and drove home a pair on Saturday afternoon before scoring himself, providing the latest in a lifetime of midwestern baseball memories for the Kerr family.
There are countless other dreams out there, still waiting to be fulfilled. Similar stories exist on all eight teams. Young athletes on and off the field will turn their focus here across the next ten days in anticipation of their own Omaha moments yet to come. They will train and prepare in expectation of their own championship caliber stories, yet to be written.
Can an inning change the world? You had better believe it. The movie also reminds us of this truth. Regardless of whether the game works out as planned, it is life-changing. The joy along this journey is often found in waiting to see which innings do in fact change the world and discovering just how much.
Whether at the gem of a ballpark that once stood proudly atop the hill or inside the new downtown centerpiece college baseball fans now savor; it has always been about the spirit of the game played within. It is the spirit of those who have gone before, those who have embraced this game, respected its basic principles and built what we enjoy today.
It remains those foundational values such as teamwork and sacrifice, determination and perseverance, along with the concept of going out to dream and returning home safely again that make these timeless words continue to ring true… If you build it, he will come.
The Coaching Fraternity
Baseball is a game of relationships, thus it always lends itself to talk of coaching connections. This goes well beyond the obvious storylines that link FSU’s Mike Martin to every head coach in the field. Remember, he has family right there on his staff, with Mike Martin Jr, who at one point played for his father, now coaching third base.
The game itself is like a family, with only a few degrees of separation at programs all across the country. It’s nearly everywhere you look. Eleven called it a “coaching fraternity.”
This year these ties are perhaps even stronger. Look no further than Auburn’s Butch Thompson. Here for the first time as a head coach, Thompson was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi, a short drive from Dudy Noble Stadium in Starkville.
Prior to taking the Auburn job, he was one of the most respected pitching coaches in the country while on John Cohen’s staff at State. What he has done in a very short time on the plains is remarkable.
There are nearly 300 college baseball teams, but wouldn’t you know it, his Tigers are facing Mississippi State in the tournament opener for both schools. He pointed out the irony of this in the pre-series press conferences on Friday.
Dave Van Horn and Tim Tadlock have battled it out for some time, both were junior college coaches in the state of Texas. These two men share a commonality that comes with understnanding just what it means to make the climb through all levels of the coaching ranks.
Michigan’s Eric Bakich also has personal connections. The youngest of this year’s CWS skippers was once an assistant for Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin in Nashville. He’s just the latest to have made the traditional phone call to Tallahassee in search of a little wisdom from the dean of college baseball coaches.
Corbin and Louisville skipper Dan McDonnell catch up yearly during summer vacation, meeting up on the cape to wind down and debrief following long grinding seasons. It is a tradition that has built a special bond between their wives and entire families. The trip will have to take place a little later this go round. Don’t think they mind.
In perhaps the strongest Omaha related connection, McDonnell and first year Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis were teammates on The Citadel’s 1990 College World Series squad. Being back here together keeps those memories fresh. They are still representing the small military academy from the Palmetto State extremely well.
The sentiments of all these coaches became clear in multiple conversations prior to the start of the tournament: If you are going to see a revered colleague and a trusted friend in the other dugout, you want it to be here.
In the preliminary rounds you run the risk of keeping a respected comrade from realizing the dream of Omaha. If you are going to meet, make it on college baseball’s biggest stage.
MLB IN OMAHA
While countless big league players cut their teeth and made their names in Omaha, no big league club had ever participated in a regular season contest from the city synonymous with baseball dreams. All that changed on a beautiful June evening downtown.
Fans and players across multiple generations have long transformed this midwestern city into the premier college baseball destination for a couple of weeks each summer. It is where dreams of diamond glory are so often realized. Now Major League Baseball has made it the newest stop along its yearly journey.
The city and its showcase event have helped cultivate the growth of the game in countless ways. It has certainly served to strengthen the primary pool from which much of professional baseball draws its talent. Now many of those players will have the chance to return and pay homage.
Who could’ve imagined that Johnny Rosenblatt’s decades old vision for creating a college baseball home in America’s heartland would ultimately bring Major League Baseball to Nebraska. That is exactly what happened on Thursday night.
In a first of its kind partnership between the NCAA and Major League Baseball, College World Series fans were treated to an MLB showcase game on the eve of the annual opening ceremonies for the national championship tournament.
Over 25,000 baseball fans poured into TD Ameritrade Park for the inaugural edition. A sellout crowd looked on as two American League Central foes battled in a regular championship season contest. By all accounts, it was a huge success.
In the end, Kansas City defeated Detroit 7-3, though the storylines ran deeper. It was about so much more than a win or loss in the overall record of the Royals and Tigers.
The competitors themselves served as a fitting selection. Seven players on the Tigers active roster played in the College World Series. Kansas City’s Triple-A team, the Storm Chasers, is based in Omaha and the big league club’s own twenty-five man roster features both an Omaha hero and a former Creighton BlueJay.
A surface examination of the three players made available to the media following the event provides a window into what the game is truly all about. The trio sat atop the podium as living and breathing reminders of all the things worth loving about America’s national pastime.
Whit Merrifield had departed Omaha nearly a decade earlier as a College World Series hero. Merrifield lifted South Carolina’s program to new heights with a walk-off single to win the 2010 edition of the tournament. It was the final at bat from historic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium and the first of back to back championships for the Gamecocks.
Now the lead off hitter and right-fielder for Kansas City, he secured both the first and final outs of the ballgame, mixing in a two-RBI double during the middle frames. Merrifield was reflective during the post-game media session, peering down at his college coach Ray Tanner as he spoke. He recounted that summer night at the old yard known to locals as “The Blatt,” ranking it among the greatest moments of his life.
Veteran Homer Bailey never played in Omaha. His impressive velocity during a storied prep career in La Grange, Texas allowed him to forego the collegiate route and sign right out of high school. What a career is has been for a pitcher named Homer. For all of his accomplishments as a professional, and they include a pair of no-hitters, he experienced the thrill of pitching in front of the passionate college baseball fan base in Omaha for the very first time. He has a new memory stashed alongside his fifth win of the season. Five wins, a very important number in Omaha, often means time to dog pile.
If baseball is all about returning home safely and memorably, the story of the night was definitely Nicky Lopez. The youthful Royals shortstop was all smiles during the post-game interviews. That smile may have been even bigger in the second inning. That’s when Lopez put Kansas City on the board with his first career big league home run. He goes down in history as the first to homer in the state of Nebraska. It was not, however, his first piece of Nebraska history.
Lopez stands as another fitting element of the night, considering he played at Creighton and was thus back in his collegiate home ball park. In fact, his first college home run came against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, in the same ballpark, landing at nearly the exact same spot as his initial big league blast.
Exactly. A young man with a lone collegiate home run, which came in his final game as a BlueJay at the annual home of the College World Series, secures his first big league home run during his first trip back as a Royal. Factor in that it happened during the Inaugural “MLB in Omaha” game, with a guy named Homer on the mound for his team no less, it suddenly seems storybook.
For all the memories Rosenblatt provided, and there were many, it appears there may be a little magic in the new place after all.
2018
OREGON STATE BEAVERS
2018 National Champions!!!
***
2018 CWS FINALS
Team Profiles
Arkansas Razorbacks
Southeastern Conference
47-19 (18-12 SEC)
CWS 3-0 / NCAA Tourney: 8-1
History: Arkansas is seeking its first National Championship
The Razorbacks have played in CWS Finals just once, 1979
9th overall CWS Trip for Arkansas, 5th under Dave Van Horn
2018 CWS
June 17 – W Texas 11-5
June 20 – W Texas Tech 7-4
June 22 – W Florida 5-2
SUPER REGIONALS
(vs South Carolina)
June 9 – W 9-3
June 10 – L 8-5
June 11 – W 14-4
FAYETTEVILLE REGIONAL
June 1 – W Oral Roberts 10-2
June 2 – W Southern Miss 10-2
June 3 – Dallas Baptist 4-3
Head Coach: Dave Van Horn
(30 Seasons / 16th at Arkansas)
(1,226-602) 7th CWS Appearance
Dynamic Hitter: Dominic Fletcher
(8-for-14, 2 HR, 8 RBI in Omaha)
Dynamic Pitcher: Blaine Knight
(13-0, 2.88, 96K on the season)
Also keep an eye on: Razorbacks Starting Rotation
*Kacey Murphy and Isaiah Campbell are rested and lined up in succession
CWS Run Differential: 23-11
Key Number: 98 HR’s on Season
Key Factor: Score six or more runs
(Arkansas is 33-3 when scoring 6)
Oregon State Beavers
Pac 12 Conference
53-11-1 (20-9-1 Pac 12)
CWS 4-1 / NCAA Tourney: 9-1
History: Oregon State is seeking its third National Championship
The Beavers won back to back titles in 2006 & 2007
7th CWS Appearance, six since 2005 under Pat Casey
2018 CWS
June 16 – L UNC 8-6
June 18 – W Washington 14-5
June 20 – W UNC 11-6
June 22 – W Mississippi St 12-2
June 23 – W Mississippi St 5-2
SUPER REGIONALS
(vs Minnesota)
June 8 – W 8-1
June 9 – W 6-3
CORVALLIS REGIONAL
June 1 – W Norhwestern St 8-6
June 2 – W LSU 10-2
June 3 – W LSU 4-3
Head Coach: Pat Casey
(31 Seasons / 24th at Oregon State)
(1,017-555-6) 6th CWS Appearance
Dynamic Hitter: Adley Rutschman
(Series leading 10 RBI in Omaha)
Dynamic Pitcher: Kevin Abel
(Most effective OSU arm in CWS)
Also keep an eye on: Beavers Supporting Cast
Tyler Malone (3 HR in CWS) and Nick Madrigal (.395 hitter/.385 in CWS)
CWS Run Differential: 48-21
Key Number: 28 of OSU’s 48 runs in CWS have been scored with two outs
Key Factor: Pitching. Will it hold up after working through elimination bracket?
(OSU is already one of three clubs in history to win CWS after losing first game, ’06)
Series History:
The clubs have met three times previously, splitting a pair of games in the 1986 Stillwater Regional and meeting again March 17, 1995 at a neutral site (San Jose, CA), the most recent contest was won by Arkansas for a 2-1 lead in the all-time series
Probables:
Game 1: ARK RHP Blaine Knight vs OSU LHP Luke Heimlich
Game 2: ARK LHP Kacey Murphy vs OSU RHP Bryce Fehmel
Game 3: (If Necessary) ARK RHP Isaiah Campbell vs OSU TBD
Father’s Day In Omaha
By Jason Patterson / Eye On CWS
A kid named Clemens occupies the third spot the lineup for the first game of this Fathers Day twin-bill. He serves as a reminder of what this game is all about. He serves as a reminder of things that transcend baseball, even amidst the glamour of a stage like Omaha.
Every other day Kody Clemens is a solid college baseball player, a golden spikes candidate with a smooth fielding style and powerful stroke at the plate. On this day, he is a son following in the footsteps of his father.
His dad, whom you may have heard of somewhere along the way, is left to roam the concourse in faithful support of his youngest son. This is just the latest story which brings the impact of the game of baseball on father’s and their sons into focus.
Accomplished in all aspects valued highly by the culture to which he became an icon, Roger Clemens today simply looks on with the nervous anticipation of a father. A Hall of Fame caliber talent turned parental spectator, the Rocket’s approach today is no different than that of everyone else across the heartland of America.
Eyes may be watching baseball, but all hearts are zeroed squarely in on the family relationships that stand as the essence of who we are.
Family ties run strong in the Texas dugout on this particular Sunday. Just a glance that direction reveals the trademark #16 of Augie Garrido on the top step. The legendary Longhorn and Titan skipper who passed away earlier this season was for decades a steady and consistent father figure to everyone wearing burnt orange.
In many ways, the veteran coach was that and much more to his peers gathered here in Omaha, even to countless others across the college game. The uniform he helped make famous is being proudly worn by David Pierce during the ‘Horns current CWS run, a tribute from the man responsible for his legacy. It remains Augie’s team, through them his legacy truly lives on.
The Father’s Day connections extend well beyond the ball club from deep in the heart of the Lone Star State.
Tim Tadlock’s crew hails from a little further west in the dusty panhandle town of Lubbock, yet his opening statement in the pre-series press conference echoed these very same sentiments.
He started with a heartfelt thank you to the players families, detailing their commitment and pointing specifically in that direction when attempting to answer the question of how his team has been transformed into a consistent force on the college landscape.
Tadlock also remembered the former Head Coach of his rival from Austin with these words, “no matter the situation it seemed as if he was always there in the background, in many ways I believe he still is.”
Such is the case all across this country and around the world for those whose father’s cannot be physically present with them on this day. Their presence is always there, always will be.
This is mindful of a much sadder note. UNC head coach Mike Fox informed the baseball world last night following his team’s win to open the College World Series that a former Tarheel and his father passed away just this week in a tragic automobile accident back home.
Everyone in Omaha will play on with somewhat heavy hearts as thoughts remain with the Carolina family. Tragedies like these place things completely in perspective. Baseball is baseball, Life is life.
It is important, on this day of all days, to pause long enough and be reminded that life is precious. It is often more fleeting than realized. This knowledge puts a premium on opportunities to seize each new day.
Embracing this unique moment is exactly what one father-son combo has been looking forward to since childhood. Across years of development and preparation the potential for a baseball dream now realized was surely in mind.
Ponder for a bit the yet unwritten chapter of their time together in Omaha.
Few images provide a vintage baseball feel like “Casey at the bat.” If Joe Casey work his way there at some point during this trip to the midwest he will do so for his father. The elder Casey will share his son’s pride and his uniform, looking on from the prime perch of the Oregon State dugout.
Whatever the outcome of a plate appearance destined to be far bigger than the game itself, the joy in Mudville, at least Mudville northwest, will be unspeakable.
Though not in the everyday lineup, Joe Casey sees regular playing time for Pat Casey’s club. What a thrill it must be to stand shoulder to shoulder with the man who raised you on college baseball’s biggest stage, if only for a moment in time.
On this Father’s Day weekend, such storylines, varied as they may be, come together as a solid reminder to make the most of each moment. Much like the distinct nature of each game to be played across the next couple of weeks, these moments which build a life will never return quite like this again.
What a tool this game, our national pastime, has been across multiple generations for cultivating those things which really matter in life. For many, it remains a valuable resource to build relationships, communicate values, to strengthen the foundational bonds of family that connect us with one another for all of time. What a catalyst this game can be for memories yet made, future memories, which will last a lifetime.
In America, where a game of catch in the backyard or a glance up in the stands for approval provide lasting connections with the man many proudly call daddy, a day like today in Omaha is priceless.
Baseball has always been about the connection between father’s and their children. So here’s to our dads, a day like today in Omaha is for you. Embrace and Enjoy!
Notes
(Roger and Kody Clemens became the thirteenth father/son combination to appear in the College World Series. Roger’s name appears on the list twice, his son Kacey also played in Omaha for Texas in 2014. The Rocket made his CWS debut in 1982, pitching for Texas in back to back seasons at historic Rosenblatt Stadium)
(Augie Garrido brought fifteen teams to Omaha during his legendary career marked by extended coaching tenures at Cal Sate Fullerton and Texas. Garrido won five National Championships. He was College Baseball’s all-time winningest coach at the time of his passing in March of this year. Augie ended his career with 1,975 coaching victories and countless lives impacted through the game of baseball)
Observations Heading Into The Final Series
The National Championship Series is an All-Southeastern Conference affair pitting #3 National Seed Florida against #4 National Seed LSU for the title.
This much is known for sure…
- An SEC team will reclaim the National Title for college baseball’s power conference
- Whatever happens the SEC will have claimed 5 of the past 9 CWS Championships
- It’s the SEC East Champions vs SEC West Champions. A score these two teams did not get to settle in the SEC Tournament (Arkansas intervened, eliminating the Gators) will be decided on a much larger stage. Conference pride and program supremacy is on the line in Omaha.
Here’s the key info…
The Teams:
- #3 National Seed Florida Gators (50-19)
- #4 National Seed LSU Tigers (52-18)
- The Schedule:
- Game One – Monday June 26th – 7PM ET – ESPN
- Game Two – Tuesday June 27th – 8PM ET – ESPN
- Game Three – Wednesday June 28th – 8PM ET (if necessary)
- The Coaches:
- Paul Mainari
- 11th Season at LSU (35th Overall)
- 3 Time National Coach of the Year
- 2009 National Champion
- Kevin O’Sullivan
- 10th Season at Florida
- 2011 National Coach of the Year
- Played for National Title in 2011
- Paul Mainari
- The Previous Meeting:
- The teams last met in late March for an SEC weekend series in Gainesville, FL
- March 24 – Florida 1 LSU 0
- March 25 – Florida 8 LSU 1
- March 26 – LSU 10 Florida 6
- Florida claimed the series at home 2 games to 1
- The clubs did not cross paths in the 2017 SEC Tournament
- The teams last met in late March for an SEC weekend series in Gainesville, FL
- The Similarities:
- Both programs made their first CWS appearance in the late 1980’s
- Both teams have made it a habit of getting to Omaha in recent years
- Both teams won their respective SEC Divisions during the regular season
- Both teams are National Seeds-both won home regionals and super regionals
- Both teams have now eclipsed the 50 win mark on the season
- Both clubs have lost a game during College World Series play, both punched their ticket to the Championship Series on a busy Saturday of action
- Both clubs will deal with pitching challenges based upon their CWS path
- Both clubs have played for the title previously under the current “National Championship Series” format, which was adopted in 2003.
- LSU defeated Texas 2 games to 1 in 2009
- Florida lost to Texas 2 games to none in 2005,
- Florida lost to South Carolina 2 games to none in 2011.
- The Differences:
- LSU has six National Titles, Florida is seeking its first crown
- The Tigers own championships from: 1991 / 1993 / 1996 / 1997 / 2000 / 2009
- The Tigers have never lost a title matchup. LSU is looking to stand alone in second place all-time related to number of titles by going for a perfect 7-for-7 in the Championship round. Florida on the other hand, has never won a Championship series contest. The Gators played Texas for the title in 2005 and appeared again in 2011, losing to SEC East rival South Carolina.
- Florida has played for the championship since the CWS moved to its new downtown location, facing South Carolina in the inaugural TD Ameritrade Park title tilt. LSU’s last title came at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in 2009.
- The Format:
- By virtue of a coin flip, LSU will be the designated home team in Game One on Monday, while Florida will be the away club. They will reverse roles on Tuesday,
- Another coin flip would be required to determine the designated home team for Game Three (if necessary).
- The Pitching Matchups:
- Monday: FLA- Brady Singer vs LSU-Russell Reynolds
- Tuesday: LSU- Jared Poche vs FLA-TBD
- Wednesday: (If Necessary) LSU- Alex Lange vs FLA- TBD
- The CWS Path:
- Florida – Wins over TCU (twice) & Louisville (Only Loss: TCU)
- LSU – Wins over Oregon State (twice) & FSU (twice) (Only Loss: Oregon State)
- Profiling the teams as they entered CWS action…
Paul Mainari and Kevin O’Sullivan have led their teams to the CWS finals. (Photo Courtesy: Leah Carmen)
Observations Heading Into The Final Weekend Of The College World Series
It’s down to College Baseball’s Final Four…
All four remaining teams were selected to the tournament as national seeds– Oregon State #1 / Florida #3 / LSU #4 / TCU #6
In fact, heading into Friday’s semi-finals the higher seed (favorite) has won EVERY game in this year’s College World Series. Four further observations…
- Oregon State and Florida are in the driver’s seat of their respective brackets. LSU must hand the Beavers half as many losses as the club has experienced all season in order to reach the finals, while TCU will also need to beat Florida on back to back days in order to punch a ticket to the National Championship Series.
- Both semi-final contests are rematches of earlier games in the tournament. Florida shutout TCU in both clubs’ College World Series opener, while Oregon State handled LSU to the tune of a 13-1 thrashing on Monday night.
- The home run ball is king this season. Much of this year’s offense at the College World Series has come via the long ball. By now fans are well aware that new high water marks have been set in home runs (in the new bat era) for both the tournament as a whole and the activities at Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Park. The 2017 edition of the College World Series has also seen the park’s first Grand Slam and back to back home runs. Not to mention memorable home runs by National Player of the Year Brendan McKay and hometown product Ryan Merrill have also dotted the landscape. What milestone is next?
- Attendance and ratings are up in a major way, with ESPN perhaps on pace to set new records for viewership. A great deal of credit belongs to the makeup of the field, easily the largest collection of blue bloods the tournament has seen in some time. The college game is in an amazing place.
A handful of notes about the symmetry of the semi-final matchups…
-One side of the bracket boasts former champions, LSU (6) vs Oregon State (2); the other side has a pair of title hungry programs (Florida, TCU). Fans are guaranteed an engaging “have” versus “have not” finals battle.
-The Beavers remain the favorite. Oregon State last won the title ten years ago. They are looking to celebrate the tenth anniversary of back to back championship with a return to the title series.
-Though six-time champions, LSU, like Oregon State, is in search of its initial title in this ballpark. The Tigers last won the championship in 2009, two seasons before the move downtown.
-TCU has reached Omaha four straight years (longest active streak) and the semi-finals for a second straight season. It’s a bit of role reversal for the Frogs. They were beaten twice by Coastal Carolina on the way to the Chanticleers crown last year. They now need to accomplish the same feat this time around versus the Gators.
-Florida and TCU have experienced more success than anyone in the country since Omaha’s new ballpark opened in 2011 in terms of getting here and staying here, but both are still in search of their respective program’s first national titles.
-TCU has never played in the National Championship Series. Florida last did so in 2011, losing to SEC rival South Carolina.
-Speaking of the SEC, there exists the potential for another All-SEC Championship Series showdown. The Southeastern Conference is the only conference with two clubs still alive (Florida and LSU).
-If two games are played on Saturday they will begin at 3PM & 8PM ET. If only one game is required it will start at 8PM. Oregon State and Florida will be the designated home teams for Friday with those roles reversing on Saturday if necessary.
Looking Back At The Opening Weekend Of The CWS
17 Nuggets and storylines from the first four contest of 2017
- For the first time ever, a pair of one run victories opened the College World Series
- Both Saturday games featured comeback wins and first inning home runs to CF
- The designated home clubs (higher seeds), won all four games (first time since ’01)
- Only 3 teams in past 36 years bounced back to win CWS after dropping first game
- In fact, 23 of past 27 National Champs won each of their first two games in Omaha
- 4 of the 5 National Seeds are unbeaten to open CWS play (after 5-0 Supers mark)
- The nation’s longest winning streaks (OSU, 22 / LSU, 17) will be on the line Monday
- Further heartbreak experienced by FSU, in yet another opening round Omaha loss
- Run scored from 1st on dropped third strike a key moment and a very unique play
- Florida’s shutout- 115th in CWS history. Last year’s 4 shutouts were most since ’72
- Gators riding 18 inning scoreless streak (shutout Wake Forest in Super clincher)
- TCU-Florida battle was 1st ever meeting, though both teams in Omaha last 3 years
- Oregon State is attempting to match Miami as only #1 National Seed to win title
- With Louisville’s total, teams scoring 5 or more runs at TD Ameritrade now 47-5
- Clubs trailing after eight innings of action are 2-101 at the College World Series
- The Lone Star State is poised for an elimination showdown between A&M and TCU
- Monday’s game between FSU and Fullerton will be the 1,000th CWS game all time
The opening weekend of the CWS is in the books. (Photo courtesy: Leah Carmen)
Happy Father’s Day From Omaha
Fathers and Sons enjoying college baseball’s biggest stage. The images alone tell the story.
Thanks are in order to all the Dads who’ve placed us on their shoulders and led the way!
Photo courtesy: Omaha World-Herald
What Difference A Decade Makes
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Or in the case of sport, how often they seem to circle back around to the familiar.
Turn back the clock to 2007.
Oregon State was completing a back to back run to national titles at the old yard in Omaha. Rosenblatt Stadium was abuzz with Beaver fever and at the same time in disbelief that the powerful North Carolina Tarheels, laden with eventual big league level talent, had been denied the crown by Pat Casey’s upstart bunch from the northwest for a second straight year.
Here we are, a decade later and those same two teams have returned to glory, sitting 1-2 atop the baseball world heading into this season’s championship run. Will history repeat itself in 2017?
There was a time when the newly minted National Championship Series simply meant Corvallis colliding with Chapel Hill as a rite of summer passage, east coast versus west coast with everything on the line. For the first time since the mid-to-late 2000’s, the potential exists for this to ring true once more.
Oregon State has lost just five games all season long, making the Pac-12 conference slate look all to easy this go around. North Carolina dropped just one weekend series in the powerful ACC. When national seeds were announced on Monday, these two familiar foes were once again consensus number one and number two selections respectively.
Only time will tell if we’ll be treated to further editions of the riveting drama that was their highly competitive championships battles from days gone by. Only the unfolding story across the next month of baseball will reveal if Omaha’s streets will once again be filled with heels of tar and rivers of black and orange.
This much we know, however, fans of both programs can relish a tournament return. Happy days are here again, including at least the potential for a renewed clash in the midwest summer heat.
Photo courtesy: Miami Hurricanes Athletics
“The Streak”
On Monday afternoon the Miami Hurricanes found themselves in unchartered waters. The club gathered for one final 2017 team meeting, waiting for a call which never came.
For nearly a half century, the ‘Canes have participated in college baseball’s national championship tournament. In fact, each of the past two seasons Miami was able to ride the familiar wave all the way to Omaha. This time they were left out.
It was immediately speculated that Miami was the “first team out of the field.” It was abundantly clear that a number of key Sunday upsets around the country likely dashed their hopes. Whatever the case, the program’s modern day trademark, simply known as “the streak” finally ended as a 44 year run of NCAA Tournament appearances.
Think about this, generations of ballplayers and fans know nothing of a world without Miami competing for the title. A thousand thanks are due head coaches Ron Fraser and Jim Morris and their student-athletes for maintaining the standard across the decades. Success is never easy to attain, sustained success even more difficult.
Though seemingly everything, all the way down to the championship format itself had changed drastically over the years, the Hurricanes remained constant. Regional baseball in south Florida became as consistent as the mid-afternoon showers.
When one considers how much Miami won during the stretch, its ending become a bit easier to swallow. Four national titles and twenty-five College World Series appearances come to mind. This is a team which maximized its opportunities during the run, winning well over one hundred regional (and eventually super regional) games at home. Still, this ever increasing number was a part of the program’s character. It will never be forgotten.
The rare early start to the off-season will provide a chance for some reflection and perspective. Likely a banner or wall decal will be purchased and properly placed to immortalize the forty-four year run. For a while it will sting, especially considering that bitter rival FSU now takes over the mantle of longest tournament streak (at forty seasons and counting by the way). In time, however, the consistency Miami gave the sport in this now bygone era will turn the bittersweet taste of this particular season’s disappointment into a badge lasting pride.
In taking a moment to pause and look back at what Miami accomplished, most around the sport simply echo the words of head coach Jim Morris. As reality settled in on Monday afternoon, there he was, sitting in the dugout, facing the unusual prospects of a tournament without his green and orange clad warriors. He stated simply, “it was an honor and a privilege to be a part of.”
How true these words, for us all.
2016 College World Series
Eye On CWS profiles the final two clubs competing for the National Championship
COASTAL CAROLINA CHANTICLEERS
Profile Graphics created by Patterson Communications / Photo Courtesy: Leah Carmen / All rights reserved
ARIZONA WILDCATS
Profile Graphics created by Patterson Communications / Photo Courtesy: Leah Carmen / All rights reserved
Our midweek profile focuses on the players whose performances propelled their teams to opening game victories. Their on-field impact and off the field character are both in view.
Photo Courtesy: Leah Carmen / Patterson Communications
CWS Stars Reflect All That Is Right With The Game
Baseball genuinely does the heart good. This has been especially true in relation to watching and listening to those playing the college game at the highest level in Omaha over the weekend.
Heroes emerging during the first round of this year’s 70th edition College World Series have provided the perfect snapshot of what athletics is all about. Teamwork, camaraderie and the pursuit of excellence, these elements are what the game has always been about.
Look no further than Oklahoma State’s Thomas Hatch, Arizona’s Zach Gibbons, TCU’s Luken Baker and Coastal Carolina’s Zach Remillard for everything that remains great about college baseball. Each of these young men have shown themselves to be both primetime players and model teammates.
College World Series openers are difficult. The first game features heightened anticipation, energy and expectations, making it all but impossible to contain emotion and focus on the task at hand. Tell that to the four players who led their respective teams to victory. It’s worth considering their individual efforts, as well as, their common approach:
Thomas Hatch, SO RHP, Oklahoma State (CG, Shoutout, 9.0 IP, 5H, BB, 7K)
“It wasn’t really me, it was my defense,” stated Hatch. He carried it a step further, stating, “I can’t take any of the credit.” Keep in mind this kid pitched the Cowboys through the Clemson regional and South Carolina super regional, excelling in two of the toughest road environments in all of college baseball. Somewhere in between, he managed to be selected by the Chicago Cubs in the third round of the MLB draft. Hatch worked in and out of trouble to go the distance in making sure the Cowboys long awaited return to Omaha went smoothly. It should come as no surprise that his head coach Josh Holliday interrupted, “well Thomas, you can take a little of the credit.”
Zach Gibbons, SR RF, Arizona (2-for-3, 2B, 2RBI, R)
Despite a stellar night against Miami, Gibbons focus was on his teammate toeing the rubber. “I try to play hard for all our pitchers, but I play extremely hard behind Nathan (Bannister) because I know what he’s been through, I have exceptional confidence in him when he’s on the mound.”
Gibbons scored the third of three runs, which certainly settle the senior righty down before he even had to climb the hill. The outfielder followed up with a two-run knock in the 5th, a double providing all the breathing room the ‘Cats would need. After arguably the biggest hit of the senior’s career, his personal satisfaction seemed to rest in the success of his teammate.
Luken Baker, FR DH, TCU (2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI)
After being asked continually about his timely (and ultimately game-winning) home run in the 9th inning against rival Texas Tech, a blast which wrapped around the left field foul pole, erased a one run deficit and gave TCU a lead the Frogs would not relinquish; the freshman phenom made it real clear that his powerful cut was only part of the equation.
“If Austen Wade and Evan Skoug don’t get on right there, I don’t get an at bat. Everyone does something for the win.” He chose to talk as much about Skoug’s hit which ignited the rally as his blast which finished it. “That hit really fired up the dugout,” he stated, “got the energy going and the juices flowing. So it was really good for us.” So is your attitude and your talent level kid, really good for the game of college baseball.
Zach Remillard, SR 3B, Coastal Carolina (2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2RBI)
Not only did the Chanticleers third baseman drive in both of his club’s runs, he added the exclamation point with a solid defensive play to snuff out any thought of a Florida rally in the bottom of the ninth inning. After he and his teammates at the post-game podium placed the focus squarely on the head coach they affectionally call “Gilly,” he turned his attention to his teammates. “This team is built on brotherhood,” he explained. “Everyone loves one another. The camaraderie is at another level unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
While the above statement may be telling in relation to how his club pulled off one of the premier upsets in CWS history, the sentiments that followed revealed much more. “I think (it’s about) the opportunity to have a couple more days with each other,” he continued, “because we’ve got some of our best friends in the world playing next to us.”
Worth a deeper look…
It should also be noted the Coastal’s starting pitcher Andrew Beckwith deserves just as much credit for the main storyline of the tournament thus far. It was his complete game masterpiece on the mound which made Remillard’s offensive contributions stand up.
The Coastal Carolina ace gave fans another glimpse into the character of these student athletes when he disclosed that a newfound twelve-to-six curveball which he suddenly discovered in the bullpen prior to game four became a key element of his dominance.
Beckwith’s revelation was a simple reminder that these young men are always working harder to get better, even after reaching the pinnacle of their sport. Whoever is able to do that most effectively across the next ten days will likely raise the trophy.
Our Sunday profile focuses on Father’s Day baseball
Photo Courtesy: Leah Carmen / Patterson Communications
Father’s Day: A Special Holiday For Baseball Fans
It’s Father’s Day in Omaha.
Nothing quite symbolizes the bond between fathers and their children like the game of baseball, so it is a fitting place to spend this most significant of days with dad. Twenty-five thousand strong, in fact, have chosen to file into TD Ameritrade Park for the College World Series.
Whether it is the gentle passage of time, the potential for memorable moments with every pitch, or the genuine excitement packed into each inning along the journey, a ballgame provides the perfect setting to celebrate the man who raised you. The man who, in many cases, taught you this classic pastime, which in turn, teaches us all so much about life.
Only a quick glance around the ballpark is required to notice countless young children clinging tightly to dad’s hand as they weave through the crowd. Also visible are numerous gentlemen, now advance in age, being directed toward seats constructed much more with mobility in mind than those they occupied just a few short life seasons ago. One thing has not changed, the familiar companionship they enjoy on this designated Sunday in June.
Everywhere you look, the family connections are obvious. Father’s are being honored by their children with a day at the yard. Here in the America’s heartland they’ll be treated to a picturesque environment and a couple of very engaging college baseball contests.
A pair of Lone Star State rivals will battle on the game’s biggest stage to begin the hardball buffet. If that isn’t enough, a Cinderella versus Goliath style contest awaits in the night cap. Envision a school making its very first trip to the land where dreams come true, tasked with trying to knock off the nation’s top ranked team and hands down favorite to claim the crown. A team chocked full of future major league players and collegiate superstars takes the field opposite a relatively unknown club that has placed a traditional family vacation spot back on the map for a whole new reason.
It will be Texas Christian versus Texas Tech, then Coastal Carolina facing Florida. Beyond that, it should be everything those in attendance could hope for out of a single serving of the twenty-four hour slices which mark a lifetime.
Long after the scoring plays, perhaps even the teams competing have escaped the mind, strong memories of the time together will linger. Perhaps even more will remain, since the day seems ripe for an ending as classic as the storybooks from which dad so often read.
Heightened emotions are present for those participating in the annual pursuit of a championship. You’ll find the throng of dads reveling in the once in a lifetime reward which these chosen few, their offspring, get to experience between the hallowed white lines. It’s not a shabby reward for Dad’s efforts either. In addition, fans are treated to engaging tales and constant reminders of players from generations gone by who shared the same last name and often the same uniform as today’s competitors. Those are the treasures of simply being here.
For all the familiarity of these story lines, the father-son connection to the 70th edition of this event runs a little thicker than usual. It goes even deeper than seeing Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan provide morning batting practice for his young son inside college baseball’s promised land. Yes, there’s an very unique aspect to this particular Holiday.
Last night, on this same diamond, a veteran coach watched as his own son walk in the footprints he left around Omaha decades earlier. College baseball legend Tom Holliday, the former Hall of Fame coach of Oklahoma State is living a dream this particular Father’s Day weekend. Josh Holliday, who played for his dad in this event in 1999, has led the Cowboys back for the first time since.
On Saturday evening Josh Holliday’s club raised the curtain on this year’s championship tournament with an impressive 1-0 victory over UC-Santa Barbara. It was his initial College World Series win. His father was in the ballpark cheering his son and his former team on to victory.
When asked about his Dad’s presence, the current skipper of the team often referred to as the “Pokes,” paused to reflect on the moment. “It means a lot, I have memories of the College World Series from my childhood that are so thick. I also remember being here as a player. I try not to talk about it much, try not to talk about him much, try not to focus on myself, because it can become very emotional.” He later concluded “I know my dad is very proud of me, no matter what I do.”
What Josh Holliday has done is remind everyone just how special these moments are for fathers and sons, as well as, how incredible this game can be in the one of a kind place known as college baseball’s home. Somewhere in the ballpark on this nineteenth day of June a pair of gentlemen can be found who share far more than a last name. They are together, watching the game they love and truly celebrating a unique Holliday.
As engaging as the Holliday back story is, theirs is not the only Father-Son connection on display within this edition of the Cowboys ball club. All-American shortstop Donnie Walton owns the privilege of playing for his father right here and now. Oklahoma State pitching coach Rob Walton is living every dad’s dream each time the Pokes take the field.
A major highlight of today’s festivities involves the playing of personal greetings from players and coaches on the ballpark scoreboard. In the midst of them one student-athlete reflected “Dad, without you I wouldn’t be here.” Truer words have never been spoken. Happy Fathers Day to Dads everywhere, without you, we wouldn’t be here.
College World Series Team Profiles
A quick hit look at the roles and expectations of the Omaha Eight for 2016
Photo courtesy: Leah Carmen / Patterson Communications
The Remaining National Seeds
THE FAVORITE
#1 Florida Gators
Southeastern Conference
(52-14)
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 division title, yet a strong crop of future big league talent, a deep pitching staff and unmatched star power have them headed to Omaha as the favorite to claim the school’s first ever baseball national championship. Florida carries the SEC flag and the momentum of two straight wins over in-state rival FSU to secure the Gainesville Super Regional.
Regional Results
Hosted Gainesville Regional
D Bethune Cookman 9-3 / D UConn 6-5 / D GT 10-1
Super Regional
Defeated Florida State 2 Games to 1
CWS History
No Titles – 10th Trip To Omaha – Last Appearance: *2015*
THE EXPERIENCED
#3 Miami Hurricanes
Atlantic Coast Conference
(50-12)
Miami is strong top to bottom, all the pieces are in place for another CWS title.
The Hurricanes are making their 25th trip to Omaha as part of a record 44th straight NCAA tournament appearance. Simply see the history to understand how difficult the ‘Canes are to take down once they make it this deep. Miami is built to win a variety of ways. They’ve secured close victories along the way, yet have the ability to pull away when necessary.
Regional Results
Hosted Coral Gables Regional
D Stetson 4-2 / D Long Beach St 4-3 / D Long Beach St 9-8
Super Regional
Defeated Boston College 2 Games To 1
CWS History
4 Titles – 25th Trip To Omaha – Last Appearance: *2015*
THE HUNGRY SURVIVOR
#5 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big 12 Conference
(47-18)
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. This team has been given new life, already avoiding elimination three seperate times in the tournament.
Regional Results
Hosted Lubbock Regional
D Fairfield 12-1 / D New Mexico 4-3 / L DBU 10-6 / D DBU 5-3
Super Regional
Defeated East Carolina 2 Games To 1
CWS History
No Titles – 2nd Trip To Omaha – Only Prior Appearance: 2014
Five Still Fighting
THE MOST RECENT CHAMP
It’s a different crew, but the last time the ‘Cats were here, in 2012, they won it all.
After battling through the elimination side of the bracket to win the Lafayette Regional, the Wildcats used a late rally against the SEC regular season champs to avoid a decisive third game in the Starkville Regional. Under first year Head Coach Jay Johnson, the Cats will be tasked with carrying the banner for a Pac 12 Conference seeking a bit of post-season respect in 2016. Arizona has a proven ability to both close out wins and rally from behind when necessary, both of which are generally in great demand at the CWS.
Regional Results
Won Lafayette Regional as #2 Seed
D Sam Houston St 7-3 / L UL-L 10-3 / D Sam Houston St 6-5 /D UL-L 6-3 / D UL-L 3-1
Super Regional
Defeated Mississippi State 2 Games To 0 in Starkville
CWS History
4 Titles / 17th Trip To Omaha / Last Appearance: 2012 (Championship)
THE NEWBIES
An experienced and power-laden club making a first trip to Omaha.
Coastal Carolina uses a rare combination of power and aggressive play to make it difficult on occupants of the opposing dugout. The Chanticleers lead the nation in home runs this season and combine the power with a unique brand of small ball that Gary Gilmore will turn to in key moment. Coastal battled from behind in the ninth inning of a winner-take-all regional final to eliminate NC State before ending National Seed LSU’s season in Baton Rouge with a walk-off winner. A team that has been knowing on the door of Omaha for the last several years, finally gets a chance to compete in the College World Series.
Regional Results
Won Raleigh Regional as #2 Seed
D St. Mary’s (CA) 5-2 / D NC St 4-0 / L NC St 8-1 / D NC St 7-5
Super Regional
Defeated LSU 2 Games To 0
CWS History
1st Appearance In College World Series
Carrying “Grand” momentum and the West Coast flag in first CWS appearance.
The grandest College World Series entrance in the history of the game belongs to the Gauchos. Sam Cohen’s grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning at Louisville shocked Cardinal nation and the entire baseball world. UCSB handed the Louisville more losses in a single weekend than the Cardinals had experienced all season long. This followed up their impressive run through the Nashville Regional which set the tone for what has been a dramatic post-season run. The Gauchos play west coast style baseball at its finest and have the character makeup of a team which can never be counted out.
Regional Results
Won Nashville Regional as #2 Seed
D Washington 3-2 / D Xavier 5-4 / D Xavier 14-5
Super Regional
Defeated Louisville 2 Games To 0
CWS History
1st Appearance In College World Series
THE RETURNERS
A historic powerhouse, returning for the first time since the late 1990’s.
Oklahoma State was on a tear of dominance through the Palmetto State. The Cowboys were the first to dispatch a National Seed, talking down the 7th seeded Clemson Tigers at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The encore performance included two straight victories in the state capitol which allowed them to remain perfect in the post-season and eliminate South Carolina. Josh Holiday’s club used solid pitching and defense alongside just enough offense, a formula that should serve the Pokes well at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha.
Regional Results
Won Clemson Regional as #2 Seed
D Nebraska 6-0 / D Clemson 12-2 / D Clemson St 9-2
Super Regional
Defeated South Carolina 2 Games To 0 on the road
CWS History
1 Title (1959) – 20th Trip To Omaha – Last Appearance: 1999
A newly dominant force, returning for a third straight year, the only club to do so.
Winning the Big 12 tournament provided momentum for the experienced Frogs. A more balanced attack that the three previous clubs to reach the CWS could make for an extended stay. Freshman phenomenon Luken Baker leads a much improved offense which now complements TCU’s always formidable pitching staff. The personnel grouping makes this Coach Schlossnagle’s best chance yet to claim the Frogs first National Title.
Regional Results
Hosted Fort Worth Regional
D Oral Roberts 7-0 / D Gonzaga 4-3 / D AZ St 8-1
Super Regional
Defeated Texas A&M 2 Games To 1 in Aggieland
CWS History
No Titles – 4th Trip To Omaha – Third Consecutive Appearance
Photo courtesy: Leah Carmen / Patterson Communications
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