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The stage is set for the greatest show on dirt, and the last thing anyone expected were no-shows out of Roch Cholowsky and the UCLA Bruins and Drew Burress and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, both seeing their season end in the regional.

This is now the second consecutive season where all eight teams in Omaha are new from the year before, and in the last three seasons, we’ve seen 23 new teams, North Carolina being the only repeat since 2024.

The parity in the sport is better than ever, and while some blame the calendar being an advantage, we have two teams making their first ever appearance in the Troy Trojans and West Virginia Mountaineers.

College World Series Bracket

West Virginia v Troy

Two teams making their first ever Omaha appearances, Steve Sabins in year two with West Virginia and Skylar Meade in year five with the Trojans.

West Virginia has relied heavily on a balanced offense with different ways to score shown in their 115 stolen bases and six Mountaineers with at least double-digit doubles. Don’t forget about x-factor Gavin Kelly, who remains one of, if not the best player in the 2027 draft class.

The story for the ‘Eers will be on the mound in their dynamic rotation between Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Maxx Yehl and Chanson Cole, who have dominated all season long.

On the flip side, the Troy Trojans have remained one of the hottest teams in the country over the last six weeks and stormed their way to Omaha making it through Gainesville and then sweeping Little Rock in their first-ever hosted Super Regional.

Led by a roster made up of nearly ¾ transfers, holds strong with their veteran leadership in seniors Steven Meier and Blake Cavill.

While the numbers on paper don’t pop, the Trojans have had that Mid-Major magic all postseason and you can’t count them out.

North Carolina v Ole Miss

The Tar Heels behind Scott Forbes make their second Omaha appearance in the last three years, yet again on the shoulders of an elite pitching staff. A team ERA of 3.86, good for eighth in the country, The Heels have no shortage of elite arms.

Led by Jason DeCaro and true freshman Caden Glauber, who both fall in the top 10 of ERA in all of college baseball, make for nightmarish matchups every game.

Offensively, this team feels like a sleeping giant, with a team OPS of .897, good for the third-best remaining in the field, they can compete with anyone in the country.

Ole Miss continues to be one of the most slept on teams in the field, trouncing through the regional and Super Regional at Auburn, carrying all that momentum to Omaha.

Offensively, this teams bangs. The duo of Tristan Bissetta and Judd Utermark combine for 45 home runs and 114 RBI, and the lineup doesn’t get any easier behind them with the supporting cast of Will Furniss, Hayden Federico, and Dom Decker.

The pitching has also been incredible for the Rebs, led by veteran southpaw Hunter Elliott. However, the real stars of the show on the mound have been Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe, who are both holding hitters to a sub-.230 average.

Out of the bullpen is another extremely talented freshman in Walker Hooks who was one of the best in the SEC, holding a near six-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio.

This is one of the best matchups we’ll see this week.

Oklahoma v Alabama

There is a legit conversation to be had in regards to the Sooners being the hottest team coming into this, shocking the World with a two game comeback of Georgia Tech to get through the regional, and then dominating Kansas in Lawrence to punch their ticket to the promised land.

For a team whose pitching staff has been spotty at best this season, they’ve found ways to win in the postseason and allowed just three runs to Kansas in the Super Regional.

Offensively this team is riding high, averaging 10 runs per game in the postseason led by Deiten Lachance with a team leading 15 home runs and 62 RBI.

The Crimson Tide have yet to lose a game this postseason. Some may chalk it up to their draw, others continue to question what this team really is, a very fitting day one matchup.

Not many have been more clutch of late than Brady Neal, who leads the Tide with 51 RBI this season. The team is also rolling out seven players with 25 or more RBI, which points to balance in the production across the board.

We all know what Justin Lebron can do; his ability to change any game on either side of the ball could flip this tournament upside down when the lights get brightest.

On the pitching side, Alabama holds a 4.11 team ERA with 13 arms having double-digit appearances. With a rotation of Myles Upchurch, Zane Adams, and Tyler Fay that has stuck since opening weekend, there is plenty of experience to like here.

Texas v Georgia

In case you thought there wouldn’t be a better matchup than Mississippi State and Georgia, this one might be better. One of the best offenses in the country in the Bulldogs with team 1.068 OPS, the best in the field by a wide margin against a top-15 pitching staff in the country in the Longhorns.

It’s likely we’ll see Dylan Volantis, who is one of, if not the best pitcher(s) in the 2027 class, holding a 2.03 ERA with 126 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings.

Offensively, the Horns are no slouch with a .941 OPS led by true freshman Anthony Pack Jr. and transfer Aidan Robbins. Potentially the most balanced team remaining in the field and Volantis vs the high-octane offense from Georgia may be the best game we see this postseason.

The Georgia offense has no limits to their depth, led by potential Golden Spikes candidate Daniel Jackson who is approaching the 30-30 mark as a catcher. All but one qualified hitter for the Dawgs holds an OPS north of 1.000, and the depth shows with 11 players making 25 or more starts this season.

On the pitching side, the stuff is loud. The mix of power arms like Joey Volchko and Matt Scott, balanced with statistically their best pitcher Caden Aoki who relies on speed change and spin, this team has been extremely difficult to battle with on both sides of the ball.

It’s truly a power-on-power matchup here and might be the best singular game of the 2026 postseason.

Just Baseball Trivia of the Week

Our newsletter will have a trivia question every week to test and expand the baseball knowledge of our subscribers! The answer to the weekly trivia question will be at the bottom of the newsletter each week.

This year, there is not a team from the state of California or Florida in the College World Series, when was the last time this happened?

A) 2013

B) 1976

C) 2004

D) 1996

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Top Players to Watch in the CWS

Every game is much watch when it comes to the College World Series, but here are some players to keep tabs on

Gavin Kelly - West Virginia

Kelly is the definition of a super-utility player, making one of the largest jumps from his freshman campaign from 2025 looking like a top-5 pick in the 2027 draft.

.384/.484/.720, 21 2B, 17 HR, 57 RBI, 43 BB : 41 K

Jimmy Janicki - Troy

The Sun Belt Player of the Year is unavoidable in this Trojans lineup, and the sophomore backstop has been one of the most productive bats in the country.

.341/.413/.646, 24 2B, 19 HR, 85 RBI

Jake Schaffner - North Carolina

Schaffner has drastically improved his draft stock this season, looking like a mid-round pick that may pay huge dividends to whoever takes a shot on him with an extremely balanced game and good glove at shortstop.

.358/.472/.565, 19 2B, 7 3B, 6 HR, 46 RBI

Taylor Rabe - Ole Miss

Rabe leads the Rebels in ERA, and has also made a huge jump from only throwing 16 innings as a redshirt freshman in 2025, with a near nine-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio, he’s held great teams at bay all season.

10 GS, 3.71 ERA, 70.1 IP, 98 K : 11 BB, .229 B/AVG

Justin Lebron - Alabama

While it wasn’t the season most expected from Lebron, this would be the perfect time for a resurgence for the once potential top-five pick in the upcoming MLB Draft. With extreme talent and athleticism, can change a game on either side of the ball.

.277.386/.541, 13 2B, 16 HR, 48 RBI, 41 SB

Deiten Lachance - Oklahoma

Lachance has been a staple for the Sooners in his first season and continues to be the bat in the lineup that can produce and do damage against any pitcher.

.332/.406/.609, 12 2B, 15 HR, 62 RBI

Dylan Volantis - Texas

The potential top-five pick in the 2027 draft class, the southpaw has been one of the best arms in the entire country making the jump from closer to Friday starter.

15 GS, 88.2 IP, 126 K : 27 BB, 2.03 ERA, .192 B/AVG

Daniel Jackson - Georgia

Jackson has been well deserving of the Golden Spikes Award, and doing things we rarely see catchers do. Truly is a Mr. Do-It-All on the best offense remaining.

.396/.492/.837, 13 2B, 31 HR, 86 RBI, 26 SB

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Trivia Answer: B. 1976

This is the first time in 50 years that the College World Series will be without a representative from Florida or California.

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