Providence

All Big East

Here we are, Season 11. Chaos reigns supreme. What an amazing tournament it has been this far. With the Regionals full of chalk minus Monmouth, it seemed like we were in for a boring tournament. Supers were the complete opposite and absolute chaos that brought fresh life into the College World Series. 8 Teams remain amidst the ashes of Supers. I’m gonna rank them in the order I think are the favorites, to the least favorites. But let’s be honest, I have no idea what Omaha is going to bring us this year.

1 Penn State

I feel like Penn State is 1, and Oregon is 1A. I think both teams are at a similar level, but Penn State did take an early season series against Oregon, so I will have to give them the nod here as tournament favorites. Penn State has been a team on the rise for a few seasons now. I really thought last season could’ve been there year if only their CWS games against OKST went a tiny bit different. They bring in the number 3 offense. So we know they can put up some runs. Their pitching is solid as well, and coach Pennywise has taken a few tough series this season. I think it’s time for the Nitanny Lions to shine. Let’s see if they can finish the year.

2 Oregon

As I mentioned this is my 1A. I feel like Oregon has fallen off in the last few seasons. Once thought of as an unstoppable machine has just weakened over time. It’s been awhile since the Ducks have looked as dominant as their past, but this season looks like they may be primed for a 4th title since all the favorites wanted to go home early. This team has a lot of depth at the mound, and they will need it to take their group and the Title.

3 Miami

Welcome to the Series coach Rocco. Coach Rocco took over the Canes 4 seasons ago and has really made a name for himself among the CBS Elite. He’s made Supers every year, had a few heartbreakers. This season he pushed through and upset defending National Champs Ohio State, snapping Ohio States 6 straight CWS appearances. Miami was able to sweep the ACC for the first time as well, beating the dominant Virginia Cavaliers in the Conference Title game. This team is for real, they struggled a bit at the beginning of the season, but turned on the jets once conference play started, only dropping 1 game since. Let’s see what they can do here against Long Island.

4 Virginia

I feel like Virginia has been an Elite team for awhile and they don’t get enough attention. This is their 4th straight College World Series appearance and they’ve made it to the National Championship series twice in those 3 previous runs, winning 1 Championship. They don’t get the respect they deserve, and I’d like to see that change this season. I think these top 4 teams are really close in skill, and it’s gonna be a battle for each one. I could definitely see Virginia taking the group and headed to their 3rd National Championship appearance.

5 Long Island

Once again the Sharks terrorized the Big East. No upset for them this year, last season Regionals were a disaster when they were upset and sent home early. We don’t really know where this team stands, they had a middle of the road SOS, and only faced 1 top 25 team during the season, which they were able to win. So the mystery of the Sharks will be revealed in the next two days, are they for real? Coach Easton Rains has catapulted this program into success ever since stepping foot on campus, boasting an NCAA high 90.2 Win%. Absolutely insane. Good luck Sharks.

6 Kentucky

It’s been a few seasons, but the Kentucky program is no stranger to this stage of the tournament. This is UK’s 4th Omaha appearance, and 2nd for coach Luc LeBlanc. They’ve been the only team to have consistent success against the Gators in the SEC, so we know what this team can do. The competition is fierce here. They have to play Oregon first, and if they can win that game, then I think they could possibly take the group. It wont be easy as they are underdogs here, but they’ve earned their stripes for sure. I’d love to see Coach LeBlanc get a National Title, let’s see if he can navigate his team through the trenches now.

7 Monmouth

Where do I even start with this team. Let’s just put it as Monmouth is the honorary SEC Champion this season. Dominated Texas A&M and Vanderbilt in the Regionals. All looked lost when they pulled Florida for their Super Regional series. What they did from there will go down in history. Game 1, Monmouth scores 3 in the 8th and 9th innings and takes the game. Okay, not a big deal, Florida has been known to drop a game here or there. Game 2 Florida roars back with a dominant 12-1 game everything looks back to normal and looks like hope is lost for Monmouth. Game 3, this game was basically over in the first inning. I can’t even imagine the energy in the Monmouth locker room after this. #1 Florida, a team that has been so good for years stunned in the biggest upset in tournament history. I’d love to see the Hawks pull another stunner, but it’s highly unlikely. Enjoy Omaha coach!

8 Providence

Well I can say for sure I did not expect this team to be here. Colorado has been amazing all season, taking both PAC12 titles only to get stunned as the #2 seed by an overlooked Providence team. I didn’t even expect them to get past Binghamton in Regionals, but here we are, one Omaha berth later. They’ve been the underdog every step of the way. Their biggest game of the season comes now against Virginia. Winning that game will shake this group up. I’m not sure they can do it though, at some point luck does run out. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.