College World Series 2017: Latest Results and Updated Picks for Monday

The Louisville Cardinals appeared to be in tremendous shape when they built a 5-0 lead on Texas A&M Sunday in the College World Series with Player of the Year Brendan McKay on the mound.

However, the game slipped into the danger zone when the Aggies (41-21) rallied for four runs and closed to 5-4 in the sixth inning and got to McKay. 

But the Cardinals (52-10) were prepared for a little adversity, and reliever Sam Bordner came in for McKay and threw three perfect innings. The Cardinals righted themselves and earned an 8-4 victory in the first game of the CWS at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska.

"We knew Texas A&M was not going to fold," said Louisville coach Dan McDonnell, per Danielle Lerner of the Louisville Courier-Journal. "You put up a five-spot with Brendan McKay on the mound and you think some teams might just cave, and we knew they weren't going to do that."

Catcher Colby Fitch had two hits and drove in four runs to lead the Louisville offense, while Lincoln Henzman closed out the game in the ninth after Bordner's excellent work to insure the Louisville victory.

The Florida Gators (47-18) were also victorious in their first CWS game Sunday night, recording a 3-0 victory over TCU (47-16).

Pitcher Alex Faedo was on top of his game as he limited the Horned Frogs to two hits while striking out 11 in seven innings.

Faedo was selected in the first round by the Detroit Tigers in last week's MLB draft. He struck out at least one batter in every inning and was dominant with his slider and fastball (mid-90's) before he turned the game over to Michael Byrne in the eighth inning.

"Alex was special," Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan said, per Eric Olson of the Associated Press (h/t Gatorsports.com). "He certainly was the difference tonight."

Monday's action

Cal State Fullerton (45-22) and Florida State (39-23) will meet Monday at 2 p.m. ET in the first losers bracket game of the tournament, while Oregon State (55-4) takes on LSU (49-17) at 7 p.m. Both the Beavers and the Tigers were victorious on Saturday.

Fullerton appeared to be in good shape against Oregon State as the Titans had a four-run lead, but they could not hold off the Beavers. Fullerton will have to find a way to put that game in the past and move on to the Seminoles or they will likely be eliminated.

The Seminoles had the Tigers down in the late going, but LSU came back with a couple of late runs to earn the victory.

Florida State will send lefty Drew Parrish to the mound, and he brings a 6-3 record and a 4.40 earned run average. He will be opposed by John Gavin, who comes in with an 8-2 record and a 2.67  ERA.

The Beavers have been rolling all season, and they will attempt to keep it going against the resilient Tigers. Oregon State will send pitcher Bryce Fehmel to the mound, and he brings a 5-2 record along with a 3.80 ERA. LSU will counter with Eric Walker, who is 8-1 and has a 3.46 ERA.

Nati Harnik/Associated Press/Associated Press

Oregon State is clearly a talented team, but the key to the Beavers' success has been an ability to maintain their confidence no matter what situation they face.

"With this team that we got here, nobody really panics," Oregon State shortstop Cadyn Grenier said, per Danny Moran of The Oregonian. "We could have been down 10-1 and it would have been the same mood in the dugout. Nobody is freaking out. Nobody is trying to do more than they have to. Everybody stays pretty calm."

That never-say-die attitude will be put to the test by LSU, since the Tigers come into the game having won 17 in a row. 

The Tigers have plenty of respect for Oregon State's accomplishments. "It looks like a typo when you see they just have four losses, especially since they play in the Pac-12," LSU shortstop Kramer Robertson said Sunday, per Moran. "They're a very, very good team. But so are we."

Predictions

It's do-or-die for Fullerton and Florida State, as the loser will suffer its second defeat of the CWS and get sent home.

The Titans had built a lead over the mighty Oregon State team, and that should help them here. The pitching matchup should also work in their favor as Gavin appears more accomplished than Parrish. Look for the Titans to advance as the Seminoles see their stay in the CWS end quickly.

The winner of the Oregon State-LSU matchup should have an excellent chance of marching to the championship round of the event. Both teams are hot, but the Tigers may be just a bit more athletic.

Walker has been effective on the mound all season, and the Tigers will outlast the Beavers in the second game of the day.