College World Series 2016: Championship Predictions, Format and Full Bracket

The 2016 College World Series begins Saturday, with all four teams in Bracket 1 taking the diamond in an attempt to gain an early advantage within the group.

Bracket 2 play will begin Sunday, as Miami looks to be the favorite in a group that features some surprises in Arizona and UC Santa Barbara.

Take a look below at the format of the tournament, the two brackets and predictions on who will be crowned the 2016 champion of NCAA baseball.

Format

The format of the tournament is simple. 

The four teams in each bracket will engage in double-elimination play within their groups until a winner emerges. The victors of each bracket will then square off in a best-of-three series to determine a national champion.

Brackets

Bracket 1	Bracket 2
Arizona	Coastal Carolina
Miami (FL)	Florida
Oklahoma State	TCU
UC Santa Barbara	Texas Tech

A full breakdown of the bracket—with regional and super regional paths included—can be found at NCAA.com.

Bracket 1 Prediction

Miami is the only nationally ranked school in this bracket, and it has the personnel needed to make a championship appearance.

Playing in the rugged ACC, Miami led all teams in Bracket 1 in total scoring at seven runs per game. The next-closest was Arizona at six per game.

This vaunted offense was on full display in the super regionals, as the Hurricanes lit up Boston College ace Justin Dunn, a first-round pick of the New York Mets, en route to a series win.

The remaining three teams are no slouches, though, as each proved its worth in the last round. Arizona defeated title contender Mississippi State, while UC Santa Barbara took down a loaded Louisville team for its first trip to college baseball's grandest stage. Oklahoma State defeated SEC power South Carolina.

Arizona has a bona fide ace in Bobby Dalbec, which gives the Wildcats the best chance to beat Miami, but the Hurricanes are the best team in this group. They also have tremendous pedigree, as the Hurricanes are appearing in their 25th College World Series.

Look for Miami to represent Bracket 1, possibly in an undefeated effort.

Bracket 2 Prediction

Florida entered the postseason as the top-ranked team in the sport, and the Gators showed why in the last round.

Against a tough Florida State team, Florida pitched back-to-back shutouts to clinch a spot in the College World Series. That should come as no surprise, considering the Gators led the SEC in team ERA and had three pitchers drafted on Day 1 of the MLB draft.

Texas Tech, the fifth-ranked national seed, and TCU are strong opponents that can challenge Florida. TCU downed SEC tournament champion Texas A&M in the super regionals, and Coastal Carolina cannot be overlooked after upsetting LSU in its last series.

However, Florida is by far the most complete team in this bracket, as it also features Day 1 picks Peter Alonso and Buddy Reed in its lineup. Expect the Gators to roll to a group win.

Championship Prediction

A final between Florida and Miami would pit two powerhouse programs that specialize in two different aspects of the game against each other.

Miami, led by catcher Zack Collins, can knock the seams off the ball, while Florida possesses a dominant pitching staff.

These two squads met earlier this season in late February, with Florida winning the series 2-1. The Gators were also able to shut out Miami, so there is precedence to believe Florida can stifle the Hurricanes lineup.

Miami has an ace of its own in Jesse Lepore, but Florida's pitching depth is strong, and the Hurricanes will struggle to consistently build offense.

Pitching wins championships, and Florida has the staff and enough offensive talent to get past Miami and win a national title.

Statistics are courtesy of NCAA.org and ESPN.com.

Rankings are courtesy of NCAA.com's bracket.