(Just realized I forgot to post this earlier this week! CWS started yesterday; this is a recap of the super regionals with predictions and key names to watch in the CWS).
Here’s a recap of our CWS coverage so far for 2018:
- Field of 64 announcement with Regional predictions and highlights of top-end draft prospects.
- 2018 Draft Preview with coverage of Local College-age eligible players of note
- 2018 CWS tournament: Regional Results, Super-Regional Pairings
CWS Super Regionals were played this past weekend.
Super Regional Recaps: I’ve got these ordered by they way they’ll be playing into the CWS field (i.e. by bracket, with former Natioanl seeds 1,8,5,4 in the top and 6,3,7,2 in the bottom). And this is the order they’re listed on d1baseball’s Tourney Central, the quickest way to find results.
- #1 Florida vs Auburn: Brady Singer overcame a leg injury in the first to throw a quality start while his offense spoiled Casey Mize‘s likely final collegiate start to get Game 1. In game 2, Auburn could do nothing with Jackson Kowar, but got two runs late including a walk-off in the 9th to force a decided against Florida’s closer. The two teams played a classic 3rd game, with Florida eventually advancing on a walk-off homer in the 11th to advance to Omaha for the fourth year in a row.
- Duke vs #9 Texas Tech: Texas Tech got the first game 6-4. Duke pounded them 11-2 to force the decider. There, Texas Tech won 6-2 to advance.
- #5 Arkansas vs South Carolina: Arkansas showed why they’re a tough out, with their offense lighting up in a game one win 9-3. Nats 10th rounder Carson Shaddy was a huge factor here, hitting a bases-clearing double in the 7th to break open the game. In game 2, South Carolina got a solid start from Reservoir HS grad Cody Morris to force the deciding 3rd game (Note: Shaddy again had a solid game for Arkansas, and our 15th rounder Evan Lee got into the game as a match-up lefty for one batter). In the decider, Arkansas jumped on South Carolina early and cruised 14-4 to earn a trip to Omaha. Shaddy had another huge game with 3 RBIs.
- Tennessee Tech vs #13 Texas: Tennessee Tech upset Texas 5-4 in the opener. Texas won game two 4-2 to force a deciding third game. There, Texas took the series against pesky Tennessee Tech to advance.
- #3 Oregon State vs #14 Minnesota: OSU continued their dominant post-season by beating Minnesota 8-1 in the first game behind nearly a CG from OSU ace and lightening rod Luke Heimlich. They had to work a bit harder in game 2, but Oregon State still advanced to their 2nd straight CWS 6-3.
- #6 UNC vs #11 Stetson: UNC got to Stetson 1st rounder Logan Gilbert, putting 4 runs on him in 5 innings and holding on for the game 1 victory. UNC made quick work of Stetson in Game 2 to advance to the CWS.
- Mississippi State vs Vanderbilt: In a game dominated by poor pitching and errors, Mississippi State’s junior undrafted outfielder Elijah Macnamee hit a walk-off 2-run homer to take game one. Vanderbilt scored 3 runs late, including a walk-off homer in the 9th, to take game 2; our two Vandy picks Reid Schaller and Chandler Day got the hold and the win by pitching the 8th and 9th in this game. Mississippi State took game 3, getting a couple runs off of Day’s long-relief effort but exploding for four runs in the 11th to advance.
- Cal State Fullerton vs Washington: UWash got to CSF starter Colton Eastman in the 7th, and put enough runs on the board to make the lead stick in game 1. Fullerton got revenge in game two 5-2 and forced the decider. There though, Washington won in extra innings to advance to their first ever CWS.
My CWS Predictions: Florida, Texas Tech, Arkansas, Texas on one side, Oregon State, Stetson, Vanderbilt, Cal-State Fullerton on the other.
Actuals: Florida, Texas Tech, Arkansas, Texas on the top, Oregon State, UNC, Mississippi State, Washington on the bottom.
I got the whole upper bracket right, whiffed on most of the lower bracket.
CWS Field and Profiles
Top Bracket:
- #1 Florida: 47-19 overall, 20-10 in the SEC. 1st place SEC-East regular season.
- #9 Texas Tech: 44-18 overall, 15-9 in Big-12. 3rd place Big-12 regular season.
- #5 Arkansas; 43-19 overall, 18-12 in the SEC. 2nd place SEC-West regular season.
- #13 Texas: 42-21 overall, 17-7 in Big-12. 1st place Big-12 regular season.
Bottom Bracket
- #3 Oregon State: 49-10-1, 20-9-1 in the Pac-12. 2nd place, Pac-12 regular season.
- #6 UNC: 43-18 overall, 22-8 in the ACC. 1st Place ACC-Coastal division regular season.
- Mississippi State; 37-27 overall, 15-15 in the SEC. 5th Place, SEC-West division regular season.
- Washington: 35-24 overall, 20-10 in the Pac-12
CWS field review by the numbers
- SEC: 3 teams
- Pac12: 2 team
- ACC: 1 teams
- Big12: 2 teams
- National top 8 Seeds: 3
- Regional Hosts (i.e. top 16 seeds): 6
- First time programs: 1 (Washington)
CWS Field thoughts
An interesting field. The entire bottom half of the tourney was decided before any of the upper half, as six of the eight super-regionals went the full 3 games. At first glance, its easy to predict the two best teams here (Florida and Oregon State). But its hard to not see what Mississippi State has done lately. They finished 15-15 in SEC play … but that included them sweeping both Arkansas and Florida late just to get their league record up to .500. They’re incredibly hot, just flipped the script on Vanderbilt, and is not a team i’d want to mess with right now. The upper bracket has more seeds, but the lower bracket might be a tougher road for the favorite Oregon State.
Florida beat Arkansas 2 of 3 in their season series, but it was in Florida. On a neutral field its hard to say who might win. In the bottom , Oregon State will open with conference rival Washington, who they took 2 of 3 against (again at home). Its hard to see a Texas-Texas Tech rematch but if they do meet, Texas took 2/3 on Texas Tech’s field and should be slightly favored on a neutral field.
Quick predictions:
Final: Oregon State over Florida.
Player Star power in this CWS: By team, here’s the top-end draft talents
- Florida features top picks Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar, Jonathan India.
- Texas Tech’s top pick was a Supplemental 2nd rounder Grant Little.
- Arkansas had three upper round picks: 3rd rounder Blaine Knight, 4th rounder Eric Cole and 5th round C Grant Koch.
- Texas’ highest draft pick is the son of Roger Clemens, Kody Clemens, drafted in the 3rd round. Also features role player Andy McGuire, from Madison HS in Vienna, drafted in the 28th round.
- Oregon State features Nick Madrigal (#4 overall), plus 1st-day picks Trevor Larnach and Cayden Grenier, as well as the controversial 1st round talent Luke Heimlich.
- UNC had just one top 10 round pick, RHP 6th rounder Rodney Hutchinson.
- Mississippi State’s ace Konner Plikington slipped to the 3rd round.
- Washington had and 8th rounder A.J. Graffiano and a 9th rounder Willie MacIver.
Nats 2018 Draftees in the CWS: thanks to the Nats strategy of drafting only College players, they drafted a ton of guys who are playing in Omaha. By team:
- #5 Arkansas features 10th rounder Carson Shaddy, the Arkansas starting 2B as well as our 15th rounder Evan Lee, a role-player on the team this year. Shaddy had a massive super-Regional at the plate and will look to continue in the CWS.
College CWS tournament references:
- d1baseball.com’s daily scoreboard is my go-to link
- d1baseball’s Tourney Central
- Baseball America’s College coverage home page
- CollegeBaseballDaily.com has coverage as well.
- CollegeBaseballCentral.com has coverage as well.
- Ncaa.com’s interactive full 64-team bracket
- NCAA Individual player stats
- Warren Nolan.com’s College Baseball RPI
- Warren Nolan’s Conference RPI rankings