CWS 2015: NCAA Baseball Schedule, Live Stream Details, Format and More
The 2015 College World Series kicks off this weekend as eight schools still stand in pursuit of the national championship. It's a good mix of teams, both in terms of conference and national seed, led by No. 2 LSU with top-ranked UCLA out.
As always, the annual event in Omaha is made special not only because a title is on the line, but also because of the atmosphere. It's really that college flair that makes it such an entertaining finish to a pressure-packed tournament.
Let's check out all of the important details for the final stages of the competition. That's followed by a look at the Round 1 schedule and some players to watch as they chase a national title.
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Tournament Information
Where: TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska
When: Saturday, June 13 - Wednesday, June 24
Watch: ESPN and ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Format:
1. Two double-elimination brackets
2. Winners play in three-game championship series
First-Round Schedule
| June 13 | 3 p.m. | Arkansas | Virginia |
| June 13 | 8 p.m. | Florida | Miami (Fla.) |
| June 14 | 3 p.m. | LSU | TCU |
| June 14 | 8 p.m. | CSU Fullerton | Vanderbilt |
Top Players to Watch
Dansby Swanson (Vanderbilt)
It's been quite a year for Swanson. He won the national championship with Vandy last season, ascended to the top of big boards for the 2015 draft and is now heading back to the College World Series. It's no fluke, either, as he possesses all the tools to become a star in the big leagues one day.
Swanson, who was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the first overall pick on Monday, is hitting .350 with 16 stolen bases and 15 home runs in 65 games this season. He's also a plus defender thanks to great range and a big arm.
Putting the draft in the rear-view mirror should help him heading into the CWS. In earlier rounds, he had to balance the added draft attention with continuing to perform. Randy Reinhardt of The Pantagraph passed along Swanson's comments after eliminating Illinois and getting drafted in the span of mere minutes.
"I can't complain, that's for sure. You can't script a moment better than that," Swanson said. "It was two separate things, and I was at peace with both. Baseball came first. I wanted to control my effort and focus, and let everything else pan out."
The Commodores struggled with their consistency at times during the tough conference slate in the SEC. They have started to play their best baseball at the perfect time, though. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise if Swanson leads them to a second straight title.
Logan Shore (Florida)
The Gators head into the College World Series as perhaps the most well-rounded team left in the field. They feature power and speed, play terrific defense, have a couple shutdown arms in the bullpen and possess a starting staff that can go four deep, if needed.
Shore leads that latter group. The ace went 9-6 over 17 starts while posting a 2.50 ERA, the best among the team's starters, and striking out 74 batters in 101 innings. He attacks the zone and isn't afraid to challenge top hitters.
The right-hander also hasn't shied away from the big stage. Scott Carter of Gator Zone provided his numbers from previous tournament starts:
Florida was seemingly on cruise control throughout the early rounds. It was simply more talented than its opponents and it showed every night. Now the level of competition rises, and if the Gators are going to capture the title, Shore must continue to shine.
Andrew Benintendi (Arkansas)
Benintendi is another high draft pick searching for one more memorable moment on the college stage. The outfielder was selected seventh overall by the Boston Red Sox after a season where he's hit .380 with a .489 on-base percentage, 23 steals and 19 homers.
The Razorbacks don't feature as much offensive depth as many of their counterparts, so there's a lot of pressure on the Ohio native to provide the spark each time out. The good news is that more often than not he's delivered this season.
What makes him so effective at the plate is his understanding of the zone. He doesn't swing at a lot of bad pitches and, even when he does, usually fights them off. Ryan Hannable of WEEI provided a scouting report from an opposing coach:
The Hogs come into the CWS as underdogs in a portion of the bracket with Florida and Miami. But if Benintendi continues to hit at an elite level, it's impossible to count them out. Anything less, however, and Arkansas will likely struggle to score against some of the staffs it will see.
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