College World Series 2014: Hottest Players Still Alive in Omaha
Only five college baseball teams awoke on Thursday, June 19, still alive in the 2014 College World Series.
The reason they're still alive varies from team to team, but all of them boast key players that have led them this far.
Here's who's been the most important player for each ballclub in Omaha, Nebraska.
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5.ย RHPย Preston Morrison, TCU
TCU fell to the losers bracket after a 3-2 loss to Virginia, but the result may have differed if Morrison was on the mound. He got the start against Texas Tech in the Horned Frogs' Omaha opener, and he dominated.
Morrison held the Red Raiders scoreless through seven innings and ultimately surrendered just one earned run. He also only allowed five hits, compared to the 10 batters he struck out.
4. IF Branden Cogswell, Virginia
A leadoff hitter's job is to just get on base. Cogswell is the Cavaliers' leadoff hitter, and he does his job well.
In Virginia's first game against Ole Miss, he got on base four times via three walks and a hit. In its second against TCU, he got on base another four times, this time via three hits and one walk. Cogswell also crossed the plate twice, which in a 3-2 win is kind of crucial.
3. IFย Dansbyย Swanson, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt has scored 11 runs in Omaha thus far. Texas has the next highest runs total with six, and it played one more game than the Commodores to reach that mark. The biggest reason they're scoring more runs than everyone else is Swanson.
Through two games, his stat line consists of a .500 batting average, two RBIs and three runs scored. He's crossed the plateย by himself as many times as Mississippi has in two games.
2. LHPย Christian Trent, Mississippi
Trent is the reason the Rebels are still in this tournament. Ole Miss' offense has been pitiful through two games. It mustered up only two runs against Texas Tech in a win-or-go-home game, but that's all Trent needed.
He pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing just six hits and striking out six batters in the process. Only after Trent left the game did Mississippi finally let the Red Raiders get on the board, but it held on for a 2-1 victory.
1. RHP Chad Hollingsworth, Texas
Hollingsworth must think his teammates hate him. They gave him just one run of offensive support in a win-or-go-home game against UC Irvine. Like Trent, though, Hollingsworth flipped the switch to superhero mode.
He pitched 8.1 scoreless innings, struck out five batters and allowed just four hits. And Texas' reliever didn't nearly blow the save like the Rebels'.
David Daniels is a columnist at Bleacher Report. He tweets, too.
