Getting Up To Speed On The College World Series
Today, one IBWAA member recaps the excitement of this year's Men's College World Series and previews the intriguing matchups to come this week.
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
. . . The very first edition of the College World Series was held in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1947, at Hyames Field on the campus of Western Michigan University. It then moved to Lawrence Stadium in Wichita, Kan., in 1949, and then to its current home city of Omaha in 1950, where it has remained ever since.
. . . The University of Southern California has won by far the most College World Series titles out of any school, with 12 championships to its name in 21 appearances. Many notable MLB alumni have come out of USC, including Hall of Famers Tom Seaver, Don Sutton, Randy Johnson, and Ralph Kiner, as well as Mark McGwire, Dave Kingman, Barry Zito, Bill Buckner, Fred Lynn, Ian Kennedy, Bret Boone, Aaron Boone, and Bobby Valentine.
Florida State University currently holds the record for most CWS appearances without a championship, with 23. Coastal Carolina University is the only school to date that won the College World Series in its first, and so far only, appearance back in 2016.
Leading Off
Oh My In Omaha!
By Benjamin Chase
If you’ve been following baseball for a while, you’ve likely read a story about the baseball experiences that any baseball fan should have in his or her life. If that article didn’t include a trip to Omaha, Neb., to witness the atmosphere of the College World Series, it’s an incomplete list.
The Surprising 2022 Tourney
When the field of 64 teams was set for the NCAA baseball tournament that began with games over the first weekend of June. That weekend saw plenty of surprises, with five of the 16 host site schools eliminated in the first weekend.
That led to an amazing weekend of Super Regionals that saw the first, third, and fourth seeds in the tournament all eliminated before Omaha. When the dust cleared, half of the teams in the eight-team field had to go on the road to earn their way to Omaha.
Early Omaha Returns
The first weekend of play in Omaha has already eliminated two teams, the Texas Longhorns and Stanford Cardinals. Interestingly, those were two of the host teams from the field of 64 that actually made it to Omaha. Stanford was the second seed in the tournament, and Texas was the ninth overall seed.
After Monday’s action, two teams were left unbeaten, with one of those two teams the team that was considered the last team to make it into the tournament, the University of Mississippi Rebels.
What To Watch For
Games will continue all the way through Thursday in double-elimination format to determine the two teams to battle for the College World Series title, with the championship series beginning Saturday.
Those two teams will play a best two-of-three series to determine the champion.
Interestingly, arguably the two best draft prospects for this summer’s MLB Draft will not play another game in Omaha, as Stanford’s Brock Jones has been eliminated and Arkansas pitcher Peyton Pallette is out with injury.
However, there are some very interesting players to watch. Possibly the best player for this summer’s draft that will still be playing is Oklahoma infielder Peyton Graham, who could work his way into the back end of the first round with a collection of above-average tools on a wiry 6-foot-4 frame that could fit at third base or a corner outfield spot.
Arkansas’ Cayden Wallace is another top draft prospect to watch, and his performance in the postseason has impressed a number of teams, giving a good reason for the later draft date for college players who still have a chance to make an impression with drafting teams. Wallace is best suited for a corner outfield spot, but he has impressive raw power that should allow him to move quickly through the Minors.
Quite possibly the most talented players on the field in Omaha, however, will be players that will return to campus next season. Mississippi’s Jacob Gonzalez is considered a top five draft prospect for the 2023 draft, and the shortstop has had an impressive overall season with the bat and the glove throughout the postseason.
There are plenty more individual and team stories to follow, so tune in over the weekend to ESPN for the championship series opener Saturday evening, then Game 2 Sunday afternoon, and if needed, the Monday evening finale.
Then make your plans to head to Omaha for next year’s experience!
Benjamin Chase is a reporter in South Dakota. He enjoys writing about baseball, especially prospects and amateur baseball, for his website videobaseballscout.com. You can find him on Twitter @biggentleben.