College World Series 2015: Bracket Predictions, Start Times for Tuesday Schedule

The 2015 College World Series continues Tuesday with double-elimination action in Omaha, Nebraska. TCU crushed LSU 10-3 to earn the right to face reigning national champion Vanderbilt, who defeated Cal State Fullerton in dramatic fashion on Monday, 4-3.

It's a surprise to see the Tigers facing so much adversity, considering they are the top-ranked team in the country and hail from the extremely tough SEC. As reputable as the conference is, it now has two of its four CWS entrants facing elimination in their next games, with Vandy narrowly escaping defeat.

Below is a look at the basic information for Tuesday's matchups, accompanied by predictions and analysis.

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Prediction
LSU vs. Cal State Fullerton	3 p.m.	ESPN2	LSU wins, 7-2
TCU vs. Vanderbilt	8 p.m.	ESPN	Vanderbilt wins, 5-4

LSU vs. Cal State Fullerton

Mike Theiler/Associated Press

At least the Tigers could see their loss in the College World Series opener coming. A rain delay interrupted Cal State Fullerton's game against Vanderbilt, which it led 3-0 in the middle of the sixth inning.

But Jeren Kendall's two-run shot, which followed Bryan Reynolds' RBI double, suddenly swept the rug out from under the Titans when it looked like they'd move to the winners bracket, according to NCAA Baseball:

Now, Cal State Fullerton is staring elimination in the face as underdogs to LSU. After being embarrassed by TCU, one can bet the Tigers will be fired up and out to prove they're the nation's best in Omaha.

Freshman pitching phenom Alex Lange will take the mound for LSU to try to keep its season alive. Lange expressed confidence that the Tigers' bats will wake up on Tuesday, via the Advocate's Ross Dellenger:

One has to believe LSU's ability to post such a strong record despite playing in the SEC will help it overcome the disappointment of such a lopsided loss at the hands of TCU. The Titans may not be equipped to handle the Vanderbilt heartbreak after being just two outs away from a win.

Cal State Fullerton is vulnerable at the moment and couldn't get their hitting back after the weather delay in the prior contest. It's easy to see that lethargy carrying over when facing a stud dealer like Lange, which should allow the Tigers to get back on track with a big victory.

Prediction: LSU 7, Cal State Fullerton 2

TCU vs. Vanderbilt

Mike Theiler/Associated Press

The key for the Horned Frogs will be avoiding a letdown after defeating LSU in such a convincing way. Their seasoned team probably won't let that happen, yet it's going to be hard to stop Vanderbilt after its momentous comeback triumph.

Both of these teams play sound defense, have incredible speed on the basepaths and boast plenty of pitching depth to boot. Where the Commodores have a huge advantage is their overall power—they've hit 67 home runs to TCU's mere 27.

Aaron Suttles of the Tuscaloosa News gave an intangible advantage to the Commodores following their Monday heroics:

Even Mother Nature seems to be working in Vanderbilt's favor, as they may not have been able to recover from a 3-0 deficit without the rain-induced intermission.

This Commodores nucleus has gotten the job done before on the CWS stage. Even when No. 1-overall MLB draft pick Dansby Swanson failed to get a hit in four at-bats against the Titans, the rest of Vanderbilt's lineup picked up the slack to avoid starting its defense in Omaha on a sour note.

Swanson is due for a better game against the Horned Frogs, which is bad news even for TCU's formidable stable of pitchers. The Tennessean's Kevin Procter weighed in on Vandy's own promising pitching outlook:

Although Vandy burned through flamethrower Carson Fulmer on Sunday, it will be able to call on another first-round MLB draft pick in Walker Buehler or junior southpaw Philip Pfeifer. Both are sterling power pitchers in their own right. Buehler has better physical tools, but Pfeifer has the grit to keep opponents in check.

Superior bullpen depth and a vengeance factor to tag TCU back for a 4-2 loss on March 8 will also drive Vanderbilt to victory and one step closer to a successful national title defense.

Prediction: Vanderbilt 5, TCU 4

Note: Stats and bracket information courtesy of NCAA.com unless otherwise indicated.