College World Series 2016: Latest Results and Updated Championship Predictions

Coastal Carolina had been on the brink of elimination, but after a 7-5 victory over Texas Tech Thursday night, the Chanticleers are one of four teams left with a chance to win the College World Series.

Coastal Carolina took the field at Ameriquest Park in Omaha, Nebraska, with a new lineup, as head coach Gary Gilmore was looking for a significant production increase after his team had scored three runs in its first two games for a 1-1 record.

The move didn't pay off right away, as it was Texas Tech's Stephen Smith who bashed a three-run double in the bottom of the second to give the Red Raiders a 3-1 lead.

However, Coastal Carolina bounced back with three runs of their own in the top of the third, putting the pressure on Texas Tech. 

After the Red Raiders tied things up with one out in the bottom of the third, Mike Morrison came out of the bullpen and put his stamp on the game. After walking his first batter to load the bases, he threw back-to-back strikeouts and left the mound with an emotional fist pump.

That triggered the Coastal Carolina offense, as Tyler Chadwick drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly and David Parrett drove in three with a bases-loaded double. The game had been broken open, and the Chants would hold on for the victory.

Team	Team	Time (ET)	TV
Arizona	Oklahoma State	3 p.m.	ESPN2
Coastal Carolina	TCU	8 p.m.	ESPN

While beating Texas Tech wasn't easy, the difficulty will only increase when they face high-powered TCU Friday night at 8 p.m. ET.

Coastal Carolina must beat the Horned Frogs in that game and again on Saturday to advance to the College World Series championship.

The Arizona Wildcats face a similar scenario on the other side of the bracket. The Wildcats, who were victorious Wednesday afternoon in their elimination game over UC Santa Barbara, will face Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.

If the Wildcats can beat the Cowboys on Friday and again on Saturday, they will advance to the championship round.

All TCU and Oklahoma State have to do is win one of those games to survive and advance in the double-elimination tournament. If either or both of those teams win Friday, Saturday's games will be unnecessary.

It would appear that TCU and Oklahoma State would have a major advantage, but if Coastal Carolina and Arizona can secure leads on Friday, they will put significant pressure on their opponents.

Pitching and defense have been the dominant factors thus far in the College World Series, and there's no reason to think that it won't continue to be as the tournament nears its final stages.

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

Arizona head coach Jay Johnson explained how effective the pitching has been for his team and the others in the College World Series.

“You just have to take care of the ball,” Johnson told Teddy Cahill of Baseball America. “It’s talked about over and over again. Everybody likes offense. Everybody likes scoring runs. But the reality is the guys that are on the mound are on the biggest scholarships, and they’re paid to get guys out."

Johnson ultimately made the unlikely comparison of the College World Series to soccer, since any time a team has a one-run lead, it feels like more. 

"It feels like we’re playing soccer," Johnson told Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star. "One run is worth two runs. It affects every decision you make."

The pitching matchup between Oklahoma State's Jensen Elliott and Arizona's Nathan Bannister should be a classic. Elliott comes into the game with a 9-2 record and a 3.27 ERA, while Bannister is an impressive 12-2 with a 2.64 ERA.

Another tight game and one-run decision looms.

Predictions

Look for both Coastal Carolina and Arizona to play with quite a bit of enthusiasm after winning their elimination games. However, TCU will find a way to win Friday and eliminate the Chanticleers.

Arizona seems to understand how to win close games and will hand Oklahoma State its first loss of the tournament and force an elimination game Saturday. The Cowboys will survive that game thanks to their powerful pitching staff.

That will leave TCU and Oklahoma State in the championship round, which will be played June 27-30 in Omaha. Look for head coach Josh Holliday and his Cowboys to come out on top in this classic matchup and celebrate enthusiastically as Oklahoma State comes up with its second baseball national championship in the school's history.