Baseball Talk
A College World Series preview: Who stays and who leaves
I love this weekend. It’s the start of the College World Series. I love it more when my team is in it and doesn’t suck, but I can’t do anything about that. What I can do is enjoy the show in Omaha and watch some college baseball, which I plan to do.
The first thing you’ll notice is only three of the national eight seeds made it: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 3 Oregon State and No. 4 LSU. Those are the only brand names and powerhouses here. No South Carolina, No Cal-State Fullerton, no Florida State (no Florida school at all) and obviously no Texas (or Texas school). Joining the three national seeds are Mississippi State, Indiana, Louisville, NC State and UCLA.
The non-national seeds certainly played their way to Omaha. UCLA knocked off No. 5 seed Fullerton in two games, Cow Bells took out No. 6 UVA in two straight, Indiana swept out No. 7 FSU, NC State beat Rice, who eliminated No. 8 seed Oregon in the regional and Louisville knocked out mighty Vandy, the No. 2 seed. All five hosted non-nationals and were No. 1 seeds, which means all were close to being top eight national seeds and are as good as anyone in the field… Blah, blah, blah. So who wins? Who goes home early?
The favorites are clearly the top national seeds. No. 1 seed UNC is the most complete team with the 3rd best offense (.306 batting average, 7.9 runs per game) and the 14th best staff (2.78 ERA) nationally. Or No .4 LSU with the No. 3 pitching staff (2.41 ERA) and a terrific offense (.308, 6.6 runs per game) of their own. But there are other stories as well. Who leaves early? Who will surprise? Let’s see!
Two and barbecue alert
The old adage in Omaha is “two and barbecue,” which means you lose your first two games, are eliminated and spend the rest of the tournament tailgating (barbecuing) and watching everyone else. I see two teams who should be on alert.
North Carolina State
Statistically, the Wolf Pack is the weakest team in the field with 3.09 ERA and the 111th offense in the nation. They score 6.2 runs per game, but with the other pitching staffs (and their run support) I think State is likely the first to make an exit. And with top seed and in-state conference rival UNC first, it appears more likely.
Mississippi State
They remind me of Texas with their stellar pitching (2.77 ERA) and middling offense (6.0 runs per game, ranked No. 60) and, for the most part, the bats win in Omaha. When Texas succeeded, they were killing the ball, when they didn’t hit, they went two and barbecue in 2011. I see the plate being a problem for Cow Bell and potentially being what sends them to the parking lot. A date with No. 3 Oregon State won’t help.
But watch out Beavers, if you lose this game you are on alert. Oregon State has the best staff in the tourney (No. 2, 2.27 ERA) but they don’t have the sticks (.290 batting average, 5.8 runs a game) to fall behind.
Watch out for…
Indiana
The Hoosiers are making their first appearance in the CWS and are the first team from the Big Ten in Omaha since 1984 (Michigan). They can mash (20th nationally in batting average) and pitch (2.67 ERA, No. 8 nationally) and have the most power of the eight with 53 homers on the season. IU seems unafraid of the moment, knocking off FSU in Tallahassee en route to Omaha. Despite their inexperience, they are going to be trouble.
The Hoosiers start with Louisville and if they win they get the winner of Mississippi State/Oregon State game, which is very winnable. I think they do win and get to the championship game and get LSU. Who wins that? Let’s find out.
Follow me on Twitter @TreyMcLean or email me.
One of the weekend's major talking points was the addition of the new Paddock Hospitality track at the top of Turn 1. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Although he is not in contention for a repeat championship, Lando Norris remains a crowd favorite. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Kimi Antonelli led from the start, never losing placement as he claimed his ninth win of the season. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It was hard to get a moment with Paddock star the Ferrari Pope, who posed for pictures all weekend. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Kimi Antonelli greeted the Grandstand before boarding the trailer ahead of the Driver's Parade on Sunday. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Lily Zneimer stopped for a quick portrait before heading into the McLaren garage to support her boyfriend, driver Oscar Piastri.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Michael Dell made their way to the McLaren garage just before the qualifying round on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It takes a well-oiled machine of a team to win races. No drama, just fist bumps and good communication. Oh, and a fast car.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
COTA's new attraction is the theme park, aptly named COTALand. Clearly, the jury remains out on the spectacle. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It's not uncommon to see fans lined up outside of the Paddock as they wait for their favorite drivers and teams to head out for the day. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Last year's US Grand Prix winner, Max Verstappen, finished third this year after starting second on the grid. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Alpine's pit crew got their warm-ups done shortly before race start on Sunday. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
"All we talk about are tires and batteries in this sport. (They're the) stars of the show," said Nic Cameron of Leeds, New York. Mercedes engineers stacked used tires from the qualifying session to send off for analysis.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Interior designer and Miss Jamaica Universe 1994 Angelie Spencer was on site to support her favorite team, Ferrari. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Having Cadillac driver and fan favorite Checo Perez back on the grid has been great for the US Grand Prix, as thousands of Mexicans come to Austin to watch their countryman race. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It's no surprise who fashion influencer Aimee Kelly supports.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Although Antonelli took home the winner’s trophy, he did not clinch the driver’s championship as some had hoped. He needed teammate George Russell to fall to 9th and ex-Mercedes world champion Lewis Hamilton to finish in 5th. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Mercedes garage was full of adrenaline as they waited for Antonelli to arrive at parc fermé and take the traditional plunge into the hands of his crew.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The championship is all but Antonelli’s, with one hand firmly on the grip of the trophy. He is expected to complete his first-ever world championship this weekend in Mexico.Photo by Daniel Cavazos