College World Series 2018: TV, Live Stream Schedule and Game Times for Saturday
Eight teams have outlasted the field to earn a spot in the 2018 College World Series. The tournament moves to Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday with two games from the opening bracket.
While the double-elimination structure offers some leeway, a hiccup will quickly put the losers in dire straits. Anyone who falls short on Saturday or Sunday must rattle off three straight victories to advance to the best-of-three championship series.
The action kicks off with Oregon State opposing North Carolina, a battle of two potent contenders with a rich history in Omaha. After prevailing past Vanderbilt with a pair of heart-stopping triumphs, Mississippi State looks to take a step closer to its first College World Series crown. Its quest starts against Washington, the biggest underdog still standing.
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College World Series Schedule: Saturday, June 16
Oregon State vs. North Carolina: 3 p.m. ET on ESPN
Washington vs. Mississippi State: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN.
Oregon State vs. North Carolina
Omaha's opening bout will go a long way toward crystallizing the first quadrant. Neither Oregon State nor North Carolina, respectively ranked No. 3 and 6 nationally, lost in the regionals or Super Regionals. Whoever wins Saturday's showdown immediately becomes the bracket's favorite.
The Beavers haven't merely just won. They have steamrolled the competition, outscoring them 49-8 through five victories.
An offense headlined by Nick Madrigal, drafted No. 4 overall by the Chicago White Sox during their College World Series pursuit, is collectively hitting .320/.417/.490. While the star middle infielder flirts with a .400 average at .397, fellow first-round pick Trevor Larnach—selected No. 20 by the Minnesota Twins—has packed a mighty power punch with 18 home runs.
Luke Heimlich, on the other hand, went undrafted. At age 15, he plead guilty to molesting his niece. He denied guilt to Sports Illustrated's S.L. Price in a feature published in May.
This ugly case will cloud over the marquee matchup. Heimlich, recently named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year with a 2.32 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 120.1 innings, will start on Saturday, as Bob Lundeberg of the Corvallis Gazette-Times.
He will face a Tar Heels lineup that plated 48 runs in its past five games. As NCAA.com's Mike Lopresti noted, they have constantly sprinted out of the gate this season with a 55-15 scoring margin in the fist inning.
According to Lundeberg, North Carolina head coach Mike Fox will turn to Luca Dalatri, who returned from an elbow injury in May. The sophomore has given the rotation a vital jolt by posting a 3.08 ERA in six starts.
Per the News Observer's Luke Decock, Dalatri was eager to make up for lost time in the College World Series.
"It's the reason I came back, really," Dalatri said. "I wanted to be on the field and everything, obviously, but I wanted to be with the team and give them a chance to win in situations like this."
These two schools are no strangers to Nebraska; Oregon State conquered North Carolina in the final round to capture the 2006 and 2007 championships. Yet the Beavers also approached this stage as a top threat last year before abruptly stumbling to two runs in two losses against LSU.
Washington vs. Mississippi State
While Oregon State and North Carolina dominated en route to Omaha, Washington and Mississippi State each needed an extra-inning triumph to seize its Super Regional elimination game.
After surrendering three runs to Vanderbilt in the ninth inning, Mississippi State rallied to offset the previous frame's collapse. Washington, meanwhile, blocked Cal State Fullerton from another CWS appearance with a 6-5 walk-off win.
Cleaning up messes is nothing new for the Bulldogs, who sagged to a 14-15 start. They are now 37-27 with a chance to snag the NCAA title.
"We never gave up," center fielder Jake Mangum told David Brandt of the Associated Press. "Our coaching staff continued to push us every day and they’re still pushing us."
Given the alternatives, Washington seemingly represents a cushy opening opponent. Yet the five-day layover means the Huskies can send a recharged Joe DeMers to the mound.
Two days after closing their opening win from the bullpen, their ace tossed 8.2 frames in the elimination clash. He touts a 2.56 ERA, 92 strikeouts and 20 walks in 123 innings.
The Bulldogs also must tame the sizzling Joe Wainhouse, who has smacked five home runs in six regional and Super Regional games. The 6'6", 255-pound designated hitter accounts for 19 of their 40 home runs while wielding a .620 slugging percentage.
Possessing a 4.39 staff ERA, Mississippi State's pitching staff presents its biggest roadblock to a title. Before yielding 18 runs in a three-game set versus Vanderbilt, the team began regionals by suffering a 20-run shellacking against Oklahoma.
Although not a must-win game by definition, neither squad will want to contest Oregon State or North Carolina in a true win-or-go-home setting.
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