College World Series 2016: Dates, Schedule and Top Contenders

The annual tradition of college baseball's best teams descending upon Omaha will continue in 2016 minus a noticeable amount of national seeds. 

The remaining field features a few of the usual suspects. Miami will make its 25th appearance, and Arizona is in the tournament for the 17th time.

But there are a few unfamiliar faces as well that will be vying for the 2016 title. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers will make their first-ever trips to the College World Series, and Oklahoma State makes its first appearance since 1999. 

While a few Super Regionals still need to be played out, the field is almost fully formed. Here's a look at what bracket the known finalists are in and the schedule for the CWS. 

Bracket 1	Bracket 2
Texas Tech	Miami (FL)
TCU	Oklahoma State
Coastal Carolina	UC Santa Barbara
Florida/Florida State Winner	Arizona

Date	Game	Time (ET)
6/18	1	2 p.m.
6/18	2	7 p.m.
6/19	3	2 p.m.
6/19	4	7 p.m.
6/20	5	1 p.m.
6/20	6	6 p.m.
6/21	7	4 p.m.
6/21	8	8 p.m.
6/22	9	6 p.m.
6/23	10	7 p.m.
6/24	11	2 p.m.
6/24	12	7 p.m.
6/25	Bracket 1 (If necessary)	TBD
6/25	Bracket 2 (If necessary)	TBD
6/27	CWS Finals Game 1	6 p.m.
6/28	CWS Finals Game 2	7 p.m.
6/29	CWS Finals Game 3 (If necessary)	7 p.m.

Top Contenders

Miami Hurricanes

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

When talking about the favorites to win the national championship, it's best to start with the top national seed that has already clinched a spot in the tournament. With Florida's fate still up in the air, that would be the No. 3 Miami Hurricanes. 

There's a lot to like about the Hurricanes. The ACC squad boasts a team ERA of 3.59 and ranks 32nd in the nation in scoring at seven runs per game. 

That offense came in handy in the Coral Gables Super Regional. The Canes won two out of three against Boston College on the strength of 24 runs. 

However, the thing that might make Miami the most dangerous is the benefit of experience. Miami is coming back for the second year in a row with more of an edge than it did last season. 

Team captain Willie Abreu noted the difference in experience heading into Omaha this year, per the Hurricanes Baseball Twitter account:

The Hurricanes will have to prove that they learned from last year's experience to win the title. Last season, Miami went 1-2 in Omaha with both losses coming to the Florida Gators. With Florida possibly coming back, but in the opposite bracket this year, it could be its in-state rival waiting for it in the finals. 

Florida Gators

Ron Irby/Associated Press

Florida might be the only team that hasn't punched its ticket to Omaha, but it might just be the last team standing when the tournament is over. There is no team more talented in the country than the Gators. 

Whatever metric can be used to measure talent, Florida is likely at the top of the list. The Gators are No. 1 in the country in RPI, per D1Baseball.com, ended the year atop the USA Today Coaches Poll and nabbed the top overall seed in the process. 

Or, you can take a look at the results from the most recent MLB draft. They had an incredible seven players taken in the first four rounds alone. For comparison, Miami had six players drafted, but only one in the first four rounds. 

What really stands out about the Gators, though, is the pitching. Pitching depth can be a huge asset in Omaha, and no one is deeper on the mound than Florida. As a team, it combined for a 1.12 WHIP on the season. 

A.J. Puk, Dane Dunning and Logan Shore are all Gators hurlers who were drafted in the first two rounds, but it's a sophomore, Alex Faedo, who leads the team in strikeouts with 124 in just 97 innings. 

With the format of the College World Series, a team with that many live arms is at a huge advantage. The ability to roll out quality pitchers every time out makes the Gators the team to beat. 

TCU Horned Frogs

Sam Craft/Associated Press

If you're looking for a team that didn't get a national seed to shock the world, TCU might be the most likely of the unseeded teams to succeed. 

This is TCU's third consecutive trip to the College World Series. The Frogs appeared in the semifinals last season, but this squad looks quite different from last season's. 

The Frogs haven't been as hyped as Miami or Florida, but they profile as one of the most well-rounded teams in the field. One thing that hasn't changed is TCU's pitching depth. Some names are now gone, but its team ERA of 3.22 on the season is second only to Florida in the field of teams that's left. 

The Frogs can get things done at the plate, too. Coastal Carolina is the only team that has more runs per game than TCU's 7.2 while hitting .306 as a team. 

Playing the underdog role won't be new for TCU. It got here by virtue of topping the Texas A&M Aggies in three games. The Aggies were ranked No. 1 by the NCBWA heading into early June, so coming out of Florida's bracket wouldn't be the first time they've upset a highly ranked team. 

The Frogs have had their struggles at points this season. They dropped two of their three games against fellow Bracket 1 competitor in conference play. However, this team is playing much different than it was in the middle of the season, as noted by head coach Jim Schlossnagle (via TexAgs):

Fresh off eliminating Texas A&M, the Frogs have plenty of momentum. They might not be the most talented team, but they're certainly among the best teams in the country right now. 

The Big 12 produced three of the eight teams that will play in Omaha. The Frogs have proved they can come through in high-pressure situations and are well-rounded enough to win—whether their pitching staff comes through or not. 

All statistics via NCAA.com unless otherwise noted.