"It's unfortunate that we got delayed, but I've been to Omaha plenty of times and weather is just something you have to deal with sometimes," Titans coach Rick Vanderhook said, per an Associated Press report (via ESPN.com). "We were playing really well and we just have to come back and continue to do the same in the morning."

The delay will rob Fullerton of having Thomas Eshelman finish what he started. Eshelman got through nearly six full innings of shutout baseball against one of the country's best lineups, allowing just four hits. Fullerton will be forced to go to the bullpen midway through an important at-bat, with Vandy's Zander Wiel hitting with a runner on third.

It was undoubtedly a lucky break for the defending champs, who were pounding the baseball coming into Sunday night. The Commodores had averaged more than 10 runs per game during their rampage through the Champaign regional, which included defeating Illinois by a 17-4 combined score in the championship. They will need those heavy hitters to come through, and fast, to avoid a surprising trip to the losers' bracket.

Fullerton-Vanderbilt will provide an early afternoon kickoff for the two scheduled matchups, which carry their own interesting connotations.

After each lost their first-round matchup, Miami and Arkansas will look keep their seasons alive in Omaha's first elimination contest. The Razorbacks dropped a hard-fought 5-3 game against Virginia over the weekend, while rival Florida rocked Miami off the field in a 15-3 rout. 

“You can’t think about you got to win x-amount of games and our back’s against the wall, all the things that add up—we don’t have enough of this or that. You’ve just to to play and let it happen. If you catch fire good things can happen,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said, per Eric W. Bolin of the Arkansas News.

Keaton McKinney will get the start for the Razorbacks, hoping to atone for his recent downturn. He went 6-2 during the regular season with a 3.27 ERA but has combined for 6.1 innings over his past three starts. 

Going for Miami will be Thomas Woodrey, who went 7-2 with a 3.06 ERA. The junior lefty has thrived since becoming a full-time starter, mixing excellent control with some solid off-speed stuff to keep hitters guessing. He is also looking to get back in a groove, having been pulled after two innings during his Super Regional start against VCU.

“We’ve been able to bounce back all year,’’ Woodrey said, per George Richards of the Miami Herald. “We’ve had a few shaky games like that and we’ve done a good job of putting it behind us. That’s the nature of baseball. Every game is a new day. That’s why it’s the greatest game. Monday will start 0-0. We just have to get out there and run with it.”

Miami's history of strong play in Omaha makes it a favorite overall. But Arkansas, which was below .500 for long stretches of the season, has been built on resilience. Both teams have their backs against the wall, so whichever can get a strong performance from its struggling pitcher should come out on top.

The nightcap will see the two teams that put Miami and Arkansas on the brink of elimination do battle. Virginia's run remains perhaps the most surprising of any team remaining after going 15-15 in the ACC and generally looking like a team that would be lucky to get out of regionals. Brilliant starting pitching combined with timely hits have pushed them within two wins of a finals appearance.

The Cavaliers are living proof of how much solid baserunning can make a difference, as they stole six bases in their win over Arkansas.

“Hopefully, we'll keep their running game in check,” catcher JJ Schwarz said, per Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun. “I just hope it's not a factor in the outcome of the game.”

Virginia will start lefty Brandon Waddell, who went 3-5 with a 4.15 ERA. Going for Florida is A.J. Puk, who is 9-3 with a 3.96 ERA. Given all we know, Florida should be the favorite. The Gators eviscerated a strong Miami team during their first Omaha matchup and have been a consistent juggernaut for most of the season. 

“We're feeling pretty confident,” Florida third baseman Josh Tobias said, per Brockway. “The last four games, everyone has been contributing ... our whole lineup is producing. We just want to take that into Monday night.”

If they do, the Gators will be ever closer to their first College World Series championship.