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The College Baseball World Series is just weeks away and fans from around the country are beginning to feel the excitement. Four of the NCAA Baseball Super Regionals are slated to begin on June 8th and the four other regionals are scheduled to start on June 9th. 16 teams are remaining and only eight will survive and advance to Omaha. We have already seen national powerhouses such as Ole Miss, Stanford, Georgia, Clemson, and Florida State fall in their respected regionals and other schools such as Tennessee Tech, Washington, and Stetson make their first Super Regional appearance. As we count down the days until eight teams get their tickets punched to Omaha, let’s break down each regional.
Gainesville Super Regional
Auburn (42-20) @ No. 1 Florida (45-18)
What’s a Super Regional without the Florida Gators, am I right? Florida has been a traditional power in College Baseball and it is no surprise that they are once again two wins away from reaching Omaha. The Gators defeated LSU is last year’s National Championship and they are looking to repeat. Auburn lost two of three against Florida in the regular season and they have the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft on their side in Casey Mize. Look for the Gators to pounce on Auburn early but do not be surprised if this series ends up going to three games. SEC Baseball is always a treat to watch.
Advantage: Florida
Lubbock Super Regional
Duke (44-16) @ No. 9 Texas Tech (42-17)
Marcus Stroman and Mike Stud University has a chance to defeat a traditional power and Big 12 Conference bully in Texas Tech. Duke’s offense was clicking on all cylinders in the Athens Regional final against Georgia when on paper, Georgia was the better team. Not only was the Duke offense hitting the ball hard, they were hitting the ball to Mars. Griffin Conine was just drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays last night and he hit a ball that was well over 400 feet for the Blue Devils. Texas Tech also has the ability to put up double-digit runs. There’s just something about Big 12 teams in any sport. They just know how to put up points. Expect a major slugfest with Duke continuing their hot ways.
Advantage: Duke
Fayetteville Super Regional
South Carolina (36-24) @ No. 5 Arkansas (42-18)
Well, what do you know?! Two more SEC teams are playing against each other in the Super Regionals. These two teams are no strangers to the Super Regionals and they have produced some great games against each other over the past few years. 36-24 can be considered a down year at South Carolina but they know how to win once the postseason comes around. The Razorbacks went 3-1 against South Carolina this season and sent the Gamecocks to an elimination game in the SEC Tournament with a 13-8 win. Arkansas is poised to make another run and make their way to Omaha once again.
Advantage: Arkansas
Austin Super Regional
Tennessee Tech (52-10) @ No. 13 Texas (40-20)
What a year for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles! They are batting over .370 as a team and knocked out a potential national title contender Ole Miss in the Oxford Regional. However, they are about to find out what playing against a hungry group of savages feels like. Texas is a team that knows how to win in big spots and they have a trip to Omaha on their minds. Kody Clemens is the heart and soul of the Longhorn squad and his father, Roger Clemens, was a Longhorn legend as well. There is no doubt that Texas will be fired up after eliminating archrival Texas A&M in the regional round. The Horns will keep on rolling. The cinderella run for Tennessee Tech will, unfortunately, come to an end.
Advantage: Texas
Corvallis Super Regional
No. 14 Minnesota (44-13) @ No. 3 Oregon State (47-10-1)
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of College Baseball’s best even though winter in the state of Minnesota lasts until late April. Regardless of the weather, this team has performed at a high level winning the Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament Championship. Oregon State is a team that is expected to win and they just keep on winning when the opportunity comes. The Beavers will dig their way to Omaha in the battle of two furry water living and wood pecking animals. The Beavers are a traditional power and it will show against the Gophers.
Advantage: Oregon State
Chapel Hill Super Regional
No. 11 Stetson (48-11) @ No. 6 North Carolina (41-18)
The Stetson Hatters hail from the Atlantic Sun Conference and they are a force that can give any team headaches. The Hatters are making their first Super Regional appearance against a College Baseball giant in North Carolina. The Tar Heels are one of the most complete teams in the country with a balance between pitching output and offensive output. Baseball is a game where you should expect the unexpected and do not be surprised if this series goes to three games. Even though they were a No. 1 seed in their regional, Stetson has played cinderella but that slipper won’t fit for much longer.
Advantage: North Carolina
Fullerton Super Regional
Washington (33-23) @ Cal State Fullerton (35-23)
Here is a nice dosage of some West Coast baseball. Washington is making their first ever Super Regional appearance and they were able to win the Conway Regional as a three seed. The Huskies are a loaded team and are led by six foot six inch Joe Wainhouse with 17 home runs and 56 RBI’s. Cal State Fullerton was able to eliminate Stanford in the Palo Alto Regional and the hero of game one was Jace “Jumbo” Chamberlain. The Freshman launched a home run into the next galaxy and set the tone for the Regional Final. In the battle of two West Coast schools, this one may be one of the more exciting Super Regionals. This has three games written all over it with each game being closely contested and Washington will be booking their trip to Omaha.
Advantage: Washington
Nashville Super Regional
Mississippi State (35-26) @ Vanderbilt (34-25)
Of the 16 teams remaining, six teams are from the SEC and here are two more juggernauts from the best baseball conference in the country. Mississippi State stared elimination in the face on a number of occasions. Elijah MacNamee hit a walk-off two-run home run for Mississippi State in an elimination game against Florida State and had to beat Oklahoma twice in order to reach the Super Regionals. This Bulldog squad has guts. Vanderbilt annihilated Clemson 19-6 with nine home runs in the game and Connor Kaiser had 10 RBI’s to send the Commodores to the Super Regionals for the seventh time in nine years. Vanderbilt swept Mississippi State in convincing fashion in the regular season but these games will be much closer. This series may head to three games and this will be a one that you won’t want to miss.
Advantage: Vanderbilt