College World Series 2018: Bracket Dates, TV Schedule and Format
The 2018 College World Series field is set and action will get underway from TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday.
Ahead is all you need to know about this year's College World Series, including games times, TV information, format information and the latest buzz from around the college baseball world.
| 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 | Gamd 7 Winner vs. Gams 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 |
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How The Tournament Works
The eight remaining teams are separated into two four-team brackets for a double-elimination tournament.
Oregon State, North Carolina, Mississippi State and Washington make up one side of the bracket.
The other side features the No. 1 team in the nation, the Florida Gators, along with Arkansas, Texas Tech and Texas.
Play continues through the bracket, with two losses marking the end of the line until one team is left standing on each side to set up the College World Series finals.
The finals are a best-of-three series for the national title.
A full bracket can be found at NCAA.com.
Notable Storylines
Kody Clemens (Texas) and Elijah MacNamee (Mississippi State) Are Red-Hot
While Texas and Mississippi State are not among the favorites to win the national title, they do have perhaps the two hottest collegiate hitters on the planet in their lineups.
Kody Clemens went 5-for-8 with three home runs in the Longhorns' win over Tennessee Tech in the Super Regionals. The junior slugger is hitting .356/.449/.745 with 24 home runs and 72 RBI.
Not to be outdone, Elijah MacNamee has been raking all postseason for the Bulldogs.
The junior right fielder has gone 12-for-36 with five home runs and 13 RBI in eight postseason games, including a pair of walk-off blasts to advance the Mississippi State cause.
Will those two keep swinging hot bats, or will someone else step to the forefront in Omaha?
JJ Schwarz (Florida) and Gianluca Dalatri (North Carolina) Back in Action
Florida catcher JJ Schwarz slipped to the 38th round of the 2017 draft after a disappointing junior season, and he opted to return for his senior season as a result.
He managed to play his way into the eighth round of this year's draft on the strength of a .325/.404/.601 line that included 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 46 RBI during the regular season.
He suffered a broken bone in his hand in the Gators' regular-season finale, which has sidelined him throughout the postseason. However, he's expected to return for the College World Series, according to Mark Long of the Associated Press (via Washington Post)
Backup Jonah Girand went 0-for-11 with eight strikeouts during the Super Regionals in his absence.
The Gators aren't the only team getting a boost thanks to a key player's return to the roster, as North Carolina has welcomed back pitcher Gianluca Dalatri.
The right-hander went 7-3 with a 3.34 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 97 innings as a freshman last season and was expected to be a big part of the pitching staff this year.
Instead, an elbow injury shelved him after just five starts, and he didn't return until the regular-season finale.
He's made four starts since returning to action with mixed results:
- 5/19: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
- 5/23: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
- 6/2: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
- 6/9: 3.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
The team has been understandably careful with his pitch count, but the Tar Heels might consider turning him loose with the season on the line.
All stats courtesy of The Baseball Cube unless otherwise noted.
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