College World Series 2018: Bracket, TV Schedule and Favorites Entering Omaha
The 2018 College World Series will begin on Saturday as the eight teams left standing will battle it out for the national title at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska.
The full College World Series bracket can be found at NCAA.com.
Below is the full schedule for this year's event and a closer look at some of the favorites among this year's field:
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| Oregon State (49-10-1; RPI: 7) | Florida (47-19; RPI: 1) |
| North Carolina (43-18; RPI: 8) | Arkansas (44-19; RPI: 3) |
| Mississippi State (37-27; RPI: 28) | Texas Tech (44-18; RPI: 10) |
| Washington (35-24; RPI: 63) | Texas (42-21; RPI: 22) |
| 1 | Saturday, June 16 | Oregon State vs. North Carolina | 3 p.m. | ESPN |
| 2 | Saturday, June 16 | Washington vs. Mississippi State | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| 3 | Sunday, June 17 | Arkansas vs. Texas | 2 p.m. | ESPN |
| 4 | Sunday, June 17 | Florida vs. Texas Tech | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| 5 | Monday, June 18 | Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser | 2 p.m. | ESPN |
| 6 | Monday, June 18 | Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| 7 | Tuesday, June 19 | Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser | 2 p.m. | ESPN |
| 8 | Tuesday, June 19 | Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| 9 | Wednesday, June 20 | Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| 10 | Thursday, June 21 | Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser | 8 p.m. | ESPNU |
| 11 | Friday, June 22 | Game 6 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner | 3 p.m. | ESPN |
| 12 | Friday, June 22 | Game 8 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| 13 | Saturday, June 23 | Bracket 1 Final (if necessary) | TBA | ESPN |
| 14 | Saturday, June 23 | Bracket 2 Final (if necessary) | TBA | ESPN |
| 15 | Monday, June 25 | CWS Final Game 1 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| 16 | Tuesday, June 26 | CWS Final Game 2 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| 17 | Wednesday, June 27 | CWS Final Game 3 (if necessary) | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
The Favorites
Best All-Around Team: Florida Gators
The reigning national champions have been the No. 1 team in the country all season, and after surviving a tough three-game series against Auburn in the Super Regionals, they have their sights set on another title.
Brady Singer (12-1, 2.30 ERA, 107 K, 101.2 IP) and Jackson Kowar (9-5, 3.24 ERA, 102 K, 105.2 IP) front the starting rotation, while freshmen Jack Leftwich (4-5, 4.32 ERA, 79 K, 75.0 IP) and Tommy Mace (5-0, 4.45 ERA, 41 K, 58.2 IP) have also performed well in a starting role when called upon.
Closer Michael Byrne (34 G, 15 SV, 1.59 ERA, 9.5 K/9) and freshman lefty Jordan Butler (28 G, 4.11 ERA, 10.0 K/9) anchor the bullpen.
Offensively, they plated 6.9 runs per game with No. 5 overall pick Jonathan India (.354/.500/.722, 20 HR) leading the way.
Senior catcher JJ Schwarz (.325/.404/.601, 12 HR) is set to return to the lineup after missing the postseason so far with a broken bone in his hand. Sophomore Wil Dalton (.266/.341/.560, 19 HR) has also provided some middle-of-the-order thump.
They're the team to beat, even after needing extra innings in Game 3 of the Super Regionals to punch their ticket to Omaha.
Best Offense: Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech has been led by one of the most potent offenses in the country this spring, ranking among the national leaders in batting average (.309, eighth), home runs (74, 12th) and runs per game (8.4, third).
Here's a look at the Red Raiders go-to lineup:
RF Gabe Holt (.352/.446/.496, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 68 R, 29 SB)
2B Brian Klein (.323/.430/.492, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 49 R)
3B Josh Jung (.390/.493/.651, 12 HR, 78 RBI, 68 R)
LF Grant Little (.372/.469/.654, 12 HR, 73 RBI, 61 R)
DH Zach Rheams (.348/.472/.742, 17 HR, 54 RBI, 39 R)
SS Michael Davis (.288/.378/.539, 12 HR, 52 RBI, 49 R)
1B Cameron Warren (.327/.443/.556, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 46 R)
CF Cody Farhat (.294/.420/.443, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 48 R, 16 SB)
C Braxton Fulford (.192/.337/.282, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 12 R)
Little was selected No. 74 overall in this year's draft by the San Diego Padres, and Jung looks like an early candidate for a first-round selection next June.
The pitching staff lacks a bonafide ace and boasts a less-than-stellar 4.40 ERA overall on the season, but if the offense gets hot, the Raiders could make a serious run.
Best Pitching Staff: Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State is not too shabby when it comes to the offensive side of things.
First-round picks Nick Madrigal and Trevor Larnach lead a group that averaged 7.5 runs per game—good for ninth in the nation.
However, it's the pitching staff that could be the Beavers' ticket to a third College World Series trophy.
Senior Luke Heimlich (16-1, 2.32 ERA, 151 K, 120.1 IP) and junior Bryce Fehmel (10-1, 2.87 ERA, 60 K, 103.1 IP) lead the starting rotation, but the X-factor might be Kevin Abel (4-1, 3.58 ERA, 85 K, 60.1 IP).
The freshman right-hander took the ball in the regional championship game against LSU after Heimlich and Fehmel pitched the team's first two games and twirled eight shutout innings. He allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out eight.
The starting staff is backed by standout closer Jake Mulholland (27 G, 15 SV, 2.37 ERA, 8.8 K/9) and freshman setup man Brandon Eisert (24 G, 5 SV, 2.74 ERA, 8.0 K/9).
So while the Beavers can certainly hurt you offensively, it's their pitching staff that might lead them to a national title.
Individual stats courtesy of The Baseball Cube, while team stats come via NCAA.com.
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