The road to Omaha has been paved with monumental upsets and thrilling walk-off wins. Get to know the eight teams that have survived the madness to make the 2016 College World Series.
WASHINGTON — If you haven’t been paying attention to the NCAA college baseball tournament, you’ve missed some great games. There have been several dramatic upsets, including a pair of walk-off wins to send programs to their first ever College World Series.
But there’s still time to catch up before the action in Omaha begins this weekend. Get to know the eight teams that make up the field for this year’s College World Series, watch some of the thrilling moments that got them there and pick your horse to win it all.
(AP Photo/Mike Theiler)
AP Photo/Mike Theiler
FloridaRecord: 52-14
Nickname/Grade: Gators — 7/10
David or Goliath? Goliath
Strength: Pitching
How They Got to Omaha: Beat Florida State two games to one to win super regional.
Signature Moment: Responded after a 3-0 opening loss to rival Florida State with consecutive shutouts to return to the CWS.
Can They Win it All?: Absolutely
Florida shot out to a 23-1 start and has been one of the country’s strongest teams all season. The Gators’ pitching staff is almost comically deep, with seven hurlers selected in the first 108 picks of this year’s MLB Draft, including sixth overall pick A.J. Puk (Athletics) and 29th overall selection Dane Dunning (Nationals).
(AP Photo/Ronald Irby)
AP Photo/Ronald Irby
Coastal CarolinaRecord: 49-16
Nickname/Grade: Chanticleers — 10/10
David or Goliath? David
Strength: Power hitting
How They Got to Omaha: Swept super regional at #8 LSU.
Signature Moment: After allowing LSU to tie the game in the top of the ninth, Coastal’s Anthony Marks walked, stole second and scored the game-winning run on Michael Paez’s single to send the Chanticleers to Omaha.
Can They Win it All?: Maybe?
The Chanticleers are a mid-major that didn’t impress that much early in the season against bigger conference competition, but really came on strong, beating hosts NC State and LSU twice each in the regionals and super regionals for their first trip to Omaha. Don’t sleep on their bats — Coastal led the nation in home runs by a mile, and have four different players with 15 or more in a potent middle of the order.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
TCURecord: 47-16
Nickname/Grade: Horned Frogs — 6/10
David or Goliath? Neither
Strength: Hitting
How They Got to Omaha: Won super regional at #4 Texas A&M two games to one.
Signature Moment: After blowing an 8-0 lead in the Big 12 title game against West Virginia, Luken Baker’s 10th-inning home run won the conference for the Horned Frogs, 11-10.
Can They Win it All?: If they can keep hitting
Since dropping the first two games of a series against Baylor in Waco in mid-May, TCU has won 15 of its last 17, snagging the Big 12 Conference title along the way. The offense has plated seven or more runs in eight of the past 12 games. The Horned Frogs’ lineup also has plenty of balance, with five players slugging seven or more home runs and six double-digit base stealers.
(AP Photo/Sam Craft)
AP Photo/Sam Craft
Texas TechRecord: 46-18
Nickname/Grade: Red Raiders — 5/10
David or Goliath? Goliath
Strength: Hitting
How They Got to Omaha: Won super regional two games to one over East Carolina.
Signature Moment: Facing elimination, Eddie Guttierez’s two-out, two-run single in the 13th inning helped the Red Raiders level their super regional against East Carolina, which they won the next day. Also, they gave us the best Vine of the super regionals.
Can They Win it All?: Yep
One of the few teams to hold serve at home in the super regionals, the Red Raiders survived a scare and responded. They’ve already taken two-of-three from TCU in Fort Worth earlier this year and have a solid 22-9 road/neutral record this season, proving they can win away from Lubbock. With five starters reaching base at a .408 clip or better, this team will be a tough out.
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
UC Santa BarbaraRecord: 42-18-1
Nickname/Grade: Gauchos — 9/10
David or Goliath? David’s little brother
Strength: Scrappiness
How They Got to Omaha: Swept super regional at #2 Louisville
Signature Moment: Freshman Sam Cohen’s pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth off first-round pick Zack Burdi to beat Louisville 4-3 and send the Gauchos to their first College World Series in program history.
Can They Win it All?: Never say never
Nothing in particular stands out about this team except their general likability. Like many Big West teams, they hustle, they move runners, they drag out counts and draw walks. They have a pitcher named Bieber. They wear gold jerseys. They’re named after Argentinian cowboys. They took the umpire down with them into the dog pile. And if they can keep their late-season magic going, they may well become crowd favorites and turn Omaha into #chOmaha.
(AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley
Oklahoma StateRecord: 41-20
Nickname/Grade: Cowboys — 2/10
David or Goliath? Goliath
Strength: Defense
How They Got to Omaha: Swept super regional at South Carolina
Signature Moment: Thomas Hatch and Trey Cobb’s combined six-hit shutout that keyed the five-game winning streak to get the Cowboys to the CWS.
Can They Win it All?: Looks like it
It’s been a weird season for the Cowboys, who were swept by the likes of North Carolina and bounced early in the Big-12 Tournament after allowing 25 runs in two straight losses. But Oklahoma State has outscored opponents 35-6 in five straight wins since, cruising past SEC and ACC powers Clemson and South Carolina to make it back to Omaha.
(AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
AP Photo/Sean Rayford
MiamiRecord: 50-12
Nickname/Grade: Hurricanes — 4/10
David or Goliath? Goliath
Strength: Everything?
How They Got to Omaha: Won super regional two games to one over Boston College
Signature Moment: Edgar Michelangeli’s grand slam, his second home run of the game, that essentially put Boston College away, but also sparked the benches to clear.
Can They Win it All?: You better believe it
Miami may be the second-best team remaining from the state of Florida, but the Hurricanes are also the second-best team overall in Omaha. They do pretty much everything well, but lead the nation in fielding percentage, which only amplifies their opponents’ mistakes. Oh, and they flip bats when they homer. Be prepared for all of the “unwritten rules” debates.
(AP Photo/J Pat Carter)
AP Photo/J Pat Carter
ArizonaRecord: 44-21
Nickname/Grade: Wildcats — 2/10
David or Goliath? David
Strength: Hitting
How They Got to Omaha: Swept super regional at #6 Mississippi State.
Signature Moment: Ryan Agular’s three-run, eighth-inning homer keyed a comeback to force extra innings, where Cesar Salazar singled home the game-winning run to beat Mississippi State and send the Wildcats to the CWS.
Can They Win it All?:
Picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12 preseason, the Wildcats are the odd team with a rich Omaha legacy that is still a surprise to make the field. Since getting blown out by Louisiana-Lafayette in their first regional game, the Wildcats have reeled off five straight, capped by Saturday’s wild, come-from-behind win at Mississippi State. This team has come a long way since a home loss to Northwestern State and a sweep at the hands of Utah.
(AP Photo/Jim Lytle)
