College World Series 2015: Latest Championship Predictons and Schedule
The 2015 College World Series field has been whittled down to four teams, and two have separated themselves from the pack as likely participants in the year's ultimate showdown.
While Friday will afford Florida and TCU chances to prolong their seasons one more day, Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia have emerged as the safest bets to compete for the highest collegiate hardware. Since Vanderbilt and Virginia enter Friday without losses to their names, they each just need one more win to qualify for the championship series.
Conversely, the Gators and Horned Frogs will need to pull off shockers and record back-to-back victories in order to carve out improbable paths to achieving glory in Omaha.
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Here's a look at the upcoming schedule.
| June 19 | 3 p.m. ET | Florida vs. UVA | ESPN2 | Watch ESPN |
| June 19 | 8 p.m. ET | TCU vs. Vanderbilt | ESPN | Watch ESPN |
| June 20* | 3 p.m. ET | Florida vs. UVA | ESPN | Watch ESPN |
| June 20* | 8 p.m. ET | TCU vs. Vanderbilt | ESPN | Watch ESPN |
| June 22 | 8 p.m. ET | CWS Final Game 1 | TBD | Watch ESPN |
| June 23 | 8 p.m. ET | CWS Final Game 2 | TBD | Watch ESPN |
| June 24* | 8 p.m. ET | CWS Final Game 3 | TBD | Watch ESPN |
The Favorites
In the end, this comes down to simple math and trend progression.
Vanderbilt and Virginia each need one more win, while their foes need to rattle off two. And when in doubt, side with the numbers.
Particularly when it comes to the Commodores.
Vanderbilt has surrendered a grand total of five runs over its last five games dating back to a 21-0 NCAA Nashville Regional defeat of Radford on June 1. The tournament favorites have accrued three shutouts during that span, and thanks to some stellar pitching, they remain in the driver's seat heading into the tournament's stretch run.
What's really interesting, though, is that Vanderbilt and Virginia will both do battle against opponents they recently defeated in identical fashion.
Not only did Vanderbilt drop TCU in a pitcher's duel back on Tuesday, but Virginia initiated that trend by quieting Florida's red-hot bats one day prior. According to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com), "this marks the first year since 1972 that there have been two 1-0 games in the CWS."
The Cavaliers will receive a boost on Friday, too, when left-handed ace Nathan Kirby returns to the mound after a two-month absence due to a strained lat.
"I’ve been waiting on this day for eight weeks now, but whatever happens, happens," Kirby said, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch's Andrew Ramspacher. "I haven’t thrown in a while, but it’s definitely exciting to be out there with the guys again."
If Kirby can make it through that start without suffering any setbacks, Virginia's title odds will receive a boost entering a prospective showdown with Vanderbilt.
Should the Cavaliers and Commodores take care of business in expected fashion, they'll set up a rematch of last year's College World Series final, which saw the Commodores emerge with a 2-1 series victory.
Not surprisingly, Vanderbilt's approaching its upcoming tests with seasoned poise.
"A lot of it has to do with the experience of the guys that have been here, and we have been there and done that this year,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said, according to the Tennessean's Adam Sparks. "We’re confident in our abilities. We are confident we can win it."
Bank on a national championship redux with Vanderbilt coming out on top.
The Underdogs
TCU and Florida are down, but they're not out just yet.
While Virginia has carved opponents up with precise pitching, the Gators have generally overwhelmed challengers with droves of runs. Logic, then, dictates that they'll need to produce a carbon copy of that formula in order to maintain hope they can crash the championship party.
After Florida cranked out four home runs in a 10-2 win over Miami on Wednesday, the Hurricanes came away impressed with the sheer power Florida is capable of flashing.
"I said before that I thought Florida had one of their best clubs since I've been at Miami," Hurricanes coach Jim Morris said, according to the Associated Press (via USA Today). "They swing the bat and hit the ball hard, and they earned every run they got."
TCU's bats haven't been all that shabby, either, but the Horned Frogs will live and die based on the proficiency of their pitching staff.
"Knocking off a loaded Commodores club (which had three first-round picks and six players drafted in the first six rounds) twice in a row is a tall order, but if there's any pitching staff deep enough to do it, it's the Frogs," SB Nation's Jeff Gray wrote.
TCU has allowed four runs or fewer in each of its last six games, including four wins. And with the arms of aces Tyler Alexander and Mitchell Traver still fresh, there's always a lingering possibility that Vanderbilt's quiet bats could be silenced entirely.
Florida and TCU both possess the talent necessary to make some last-minute noise, but attempting to capture consecutive victories against more established and accomplished squads will represent their demise.
Updated Prediction
Vanderbilt and Virginia vied for a national title in Omaha a year ago, so why not let history repeat itself?
Neither squad is considered an offensive juggernaut, but their well-rounded capabilities should be enough to advance to the tournament final. Whether it takes one game or two remains to be seen, but extra rest for both sides certainly won't hurt.
Upon arrival in the title tilt, the defending champion Commodores should be labeled the team to beat. They've got confidence in spades, and it should shine through on the game's biggest stage.
"We've been there, done that," Swanson said, according to ESPN.com's Mitch Sherman. "We've seen it all."
Virginia will provide a stiff test for the second year in a row—especially now that Kirby is healthy—but Vanderbilt is on the road to avenging a late-season descent down the polls with a strong championship showing.
Prediction: Vanderbilt wins national championship in three-game series.
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