College World Series Tickets

Georgia reaches finals, await Fresno-UNC winner

Georgia has a chance to win its first national title since 1990, while North Carolina avoided elimination with another dramatic come-from-behind win Saturday at the College World Series.

The Bulldogs jumped on Stanford early and looked to be in cruise control, but the unseeded Cardinal made the eighth-seeded Bulldogs earn their first trip to the finals in almost two decades as Stanford scored four in the ninth before seeing their season end with a 10-8 loss.

Rich Poythress had a huge four-hit day for the 44-23-1 Bulldogs, tying a CWS record with three doubles. He helped spur the Bulldogs to a big lead, and Ryan Peisel's three-run bomb in the fifth put Georgia in the driver's seat with a 9-3 advantage.

Georgia led 10-4 in the ninth and looked to have things in control with All-American relief pitcher Josh Fields on the mounds, but Stanford decided it wasn't going to go away quietly. Ben Clowe came off the bench to hit a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left for a three-run homer, helping pull Stanford to within two runs before a flyout ended the rally.

It's an amazing turnaround for the Bulldogs, who became the first team to reach the CWS finals one year after finishing with a sub-.500 record. And it looked like it was going to be an all-Bulldog final before North Carolina decided it wanted to hang around for one more day.

Fresno State was clinging to a one-run lead in the eighth, but for the second time in as many games the Tar Heels -- the two-time defending CWS runners-up -- got a late home run to turn the tables and keep their title hopes alive.

This time, the magic bat was being held by Chad Flack, who launched a 3-2 pitch about halfway toward the site where the new downtown stadium will be three years from now. The shot just missed hitting the scoreboard in left field and gave North Carolina a 4-3 win, forcing Sunday's winner-take-all game at 6 p.m.

Fresno State dodged several bullets early in the game, as North Carolina left runners in scoring position in each of the four innings. The Bulldogs' dance around the land mines stood until the eighth, when reliever Justin Miller left one out over the plate that Flack tattooed into the cool June Nebraska night.

So Georgia must wait again. After a four-day layoff before beating Stanford Saturday, they'll get another day of rest to see whether or not North Carolina or Fresno State winds up playing in the championship series, which begins Monday at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5 (Rice eliminated)
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Stanford 8, Miami 3 (Miami eliminated)

Friday, June 20
Game 10: North Carolina 7, LSU 3 (LSU eliminated)

Saturday, June 21
Game 11: Georgia 10, Stanford 8 (Stanford eliminated)
Game 12: North Carolina 4, Fresno State 3

Sunday, June 22
Game 14: North Carolina (54-13) vs. Fresno State (44-30), 6 p.m.

Championship Series

(NOTE: All start times are at 6 p.m.)

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Georgia (44-23-1) vs. Bracket Two winner

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Georgia (44-23-1) vs. Bracket Two winner

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Georgia (44-23-1) vs. Bracket Two winner (if necessary)

You can still get great College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Ninth-inning grand slam lifts Tar Heels past LSU

Tim Federowicz was a hero Friday night for North Carolina, coming through with a two-out grand slam home run in the top of the ninth to lift the Tar Heels to a 7-3 win over LSU at the College World Series.

The dramatic finish brought a heartbreaking close to LSU's season, while the Tar Heels move on to the bracket championship against Fresno State, who beat North Carolina 5-3 in their first meeting earlier this week.

The Tar Heels had two on and two out when LSU coach Paul Mainieri chose to have Dustin Ackley intentionally walked. Ackley had reached base four times in the game, Mainieri instructed reliever Louis Coleman to put him on base and pitch to Federowicz.

The move turned out to be the wrong one, as Federowicz turned on a 1-1 inside pitch and launched a bomb to left field, the first grand slam at the CWS since 2001, to break the 3-3 tie and send North Carolina to the amazing victory.

LSU was trailing 3-1 and tied the game in the seventh when Matt Clark hit his 28th home run of the season in the sixth inning to forge a 3-3 deadlock. It would remain that way until Federowicz's tiebreaking blast.

The game actually started Thursday evening, and North Carolina had a 2-0 lead when rain stopped the game. Rain caused two more delays Friday night before the skies cleared.

So now we are left with baseball's version of the "final four" as Georgia meets Stanford in Saturday's 1 p.m. Bracket One final, while the Tar Heels and Fresno State clash in the Bracket Two final tonight at 6 p.m.

If either Stanford or North Carolina win, an "if necessary" game will be played Sunday. If both Georgia and Fresno State win, teams will have a day off before the best-of-three championship series begins on Monday at 6 p.m. at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5 (Rice eliminated)
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Stanford 8, Miami 3 (Miami eliminated)

Friday, June 20
Game 10: North Carolina 7, LSU 3 (LSU eliminated)

Saturday, June 21
Game 11: Georgia (43-23-1) vs. Stanford (41-23-2), 1 p.m.
Game 12: Fresno State (44-29) vs. North Carolina (53-13), 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 22
Game 13: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 12, 6 p.m.

(NOTE: If only one game is played Saturday, it will be at 6 p.m.)

Championship Series

(NOTE: All start times are at 6 p.m.)

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Bracket winners

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Bracket winners

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Bracket winners (if necessary)

You can still get great College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Mother Nature intervenes on CWS game

For the first time since 2000, Mother Nature kept things from moving forward at the College World Series.

North Carolina was leading LSU 2-0 in the top of the first when the rains came, and the NCAA determined after a three-hour delay that it would be in the best interests to move things back a day. The LSU-UNC game will be picked up where it left off when the two teams get together again Friday at 6 p.m. at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5 (Rice eliminated)
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Stanford 8, Miami 3 (Miami eliminated)

Friday, June 20
Game 10: Game resumes at 6 p.m. with North Carolina leading LSU 2-0 in top of first.

Saturday, June 21
Game 11: Georgia (43-23-1) vs. Stanford (41-23-2), 1 p.m.
Game 12: Fresno State (44-29) vs. LSU/North Carolina winner, 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 22
Game 13: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 12, 6 p.m.

(NOTE: If only one game is played Saturday, it will be at 6 p.m.)

Championship Series

(NOTE: All start times are at 6 p.m.)

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Bracket winners

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Bracket winners

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Bracket winners (if necessary)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Miami ousted from College World Series

One more team is out at the 2008 College World Series. Here's a recap of Wednesday's action:

Stanford sends top seed home

The unseeded teams are making life difficult for their seeded brethren, as Stanford dominated top-seeded Miami and sent the Hurricanes home Wednesday with an 8-3 win, putting them in the bracket finals against Georgia on Friday.

Danny Sandbrink and Erik Davis combined to slow down the high-powered Miami offense, marking the second straight game in which the Cardinal arms beat back strong offensive teams, following up their first-round win over Florida State.

Stanford made their key run in the fifth, scoring four times. Sean Ratliff hit his 22nd homer of the year and Cord Phelps had a two-run triple to highlight the rally.

Miami, meanwhile, could not figure out Sandbrink until the middle of the game, when Davis came on in relief and shut the door on any Hurricane comeback.

Miami's departure marks the ninth straight year that the top seed has failed to win the College World Series.

Tonight, baseball's version of the final four will be completed when North Carolina takes on LSU. The survivor plays the tournament's Cinderella team, Fresno State, in the other bracket final Friday night. Stanford will battle Georgia in the first bracket final game Friday afternoon.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5 (Rice eliminated)
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Stanford 8, Miami 3 (Miami eliminated)

Thursday, June 19
Game 10: LSU (49-18-1) vs. North Carolina (52-13), 6 p.m.

Friday, June 20
Game 11: Georgia (43-23-1) vs. Stanford (41-23-2), 1 p.m.
Game 12: Fresno State (44-29) vs. Winner Game 10, 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 21
Game 13: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 12, 6 p.m.

(NOTE: If only one game is played Saturday, it will be at 6 p.m.)

Championship Series

(NOTE: All start times are at 6 p.m.)

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Bracket winners

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Bracket winners

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Bracket winners (if necessary)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Fresno State upsets Tar Heels, LSU comes from behind

Fresno State continued its miracle playoff run and LSU kept their CWS title hopes alive in a ninth-inning comeback as action continued at the College World Series. Here is a recap of Tuesday's matchups:

LSU rebounds late, bounces Rice from CWS

LSU was all but dead in the bottom of the ninth, but erupted for four runs to steal a 6-5 win over Rice and send the Owls packing as the second team eliminated from the 2008 CWS.

The Tigers were trailing 5-2 and had one out when Michael Hollander singled home a run to cut the lead to 5-3. It looked like Rice was going to get out of the jam, but shortstop Rick Hauge bobbled a potential game-ending double play grounder that loaded the bases, and designated hitter Blake Dean followed with a bases-clearing double to right-center that gave the Tigers the win.

Rice looked to be in good position, leading 5-0 after the top of the seventh. Hauge singled home a pair of runs in the second to get the Owls on the board, and they continued to build their lead until LSU came back.

Fresno State in bracket finals with upset win

These Bulldogs are no underdogs, and the most unlikely of the eight teams to get this far in the College World Series are now one win away from the finals after a 5-3 win over second-seeded North Carolina Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs made good use of five pitchers to frustrate the Tar Heels' bats and got a two-run single from Alan Ahmady in the fifth to come back from a 3-2 deficit. They added an insurance run in the eighth and will now wait for Thursday's survivor between North Carolina and LSU to play for a shot at the championship.

North Carolina scored three times off starter Justin Miller, getting an RBI triple from Tim Fedroff, a run-scoring double by Kyle Seager and an RBI single by Chad Flack to take a 3-1 advantage. Steve Susdorf -- who caught the fly ball that helped Fresno State upset Arizona State to reach the CWS -- homered in the fourth to get the Bulldogs within a run.

North Carolina had several chances to get back in the game, but left runners in scoring position three times in the last five innings.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: LSU 6, Rice 5
Game 8: Fresno State 5, North Carolina 3

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Miami (53-10) vs. Stanford (40-23-2), 6 p.m.

Thursday, June 19
Game 10: LSU (49-18-1) vs. North Carolina (52-13), 6 p.m.

Friday, June 20
Game 11: Georgia (43-23-1) vs. Winner Game 9, 1 p.m.
Game 12: Fresno State (44-29) vs. Winner Game 10, 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 21
Game 13: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 12, 6 p.m.

(NOTE: If only one game is played Saturday, it will be at 6 p.m.)

Championship Series

(NOTE: All start times are at 6 p.m.)

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Bracket winners

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Bracket winners

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Bracket winners (if necessary)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Georgia wins second, Florida State eliminated

One team has gone home and Georgia is one win away from the finals after Monday's action at the 2008 College World Series.

Hurricanes send in-state rivals packing

Some thought the battle of Florida might come in the bracket final, not in the first elimination round.

Miami bounced back from its first-round upset at the hands of Georgia and rode the strong pitching of Eric Erickson to a 7-5 win over in-state rival Florida State in Monday's elimination game at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The Seminoles jumped out to an early lead in the first when Dennis Guinn doubled home Buster Posey, who started the rally with a two-out single.

Miami countered with four runs in the fourth, two coming on a two-run homer by Jemile Weeks. Dennis Raben added a two-run single to stake the top-seeded Hurricanes to a 4-1 lead.

Miami added two more in the seventh and led 7-2 going to the ninth. Florida State rallied for three runs, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Miami effort, ending Florida State's season at 54-14.

Bulldogs come from behind to beat Stanford

Matt Cerione got Georgia a three-day vacation with his bat in his glove to help the Bulldogs edge Stanford 4-3 Monday night to move to 2-0 in bracket play.

The Bulldogs (43-23-1) trailed 3-2 in the seventh when Cerione came through with the bases loaded, stroking a two-out single to center to give Georgia the lead. He then came up with the game-ending play, starting a 6-4-3 double play to give the nation's leading closer, Joshua Field, his 17th save of the year.

Stanford (40-23-2) scored three runs in the third to take the lead and got good pitching from Jeff Inman and Austin Yount, but they couldn't hold off the Bulldogs down the stretch. The Cardinal fall into the losers bracket, where they came back to reach the finals in 2003 by winning three straight before losing to Rice in the championship series.

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Miami 7, Florida State 5 (Florida State eliminated)
Game 6: Georgia 4, Stanford 3

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: Rice (47-14) vs. LSU (48-18-1), 1 p.m.
Game 8: Fresno State (43-29) vs. North Carolina (52-12), 6 p.m.

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Miami (53-10) vs. Stanford (40-23-2), 6 p.m.

Thursday, June 19
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 6 p.m.

Friday, June 20
Game 11: Georgia (43-23-1) vs. Winner Game 9, 1 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 10, 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 21
Game 13: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 12, 6 p.m.

(NOTE: If only one game is played Saturday, it will be at 6 p.m.)

Championship Series

(NOTE: All start times are at 6 p.m.)

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Bracket winners

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Bracket winners

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Bracket winners (if necessary)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Tar Heels, Bulldogs pick up CWS wins

The first round of the College World Series is complete, and one of the higher-seeded teams actually won a first-round game. Here's a recap of Sunday's action:

Fresno State jumps on Rice

Few figured on Fresno State getting out of their regional, and almost nobody picked them to beat Arizona State in super regionals. Anybody who continues to doubt the Bulldogs, though, may be convinced after Sunday's 17-5 thumping of sixth-seeded Rice.

The Bulldogs scored seven runs in the fourth inning to take command of the game, thanks to three-run homers by Danny Muno and Alan Ahmady. Muno had five RBI's on the day for the Bulldogs. Jordan Ribera also launched a three-run bomb to help the upstart Bulldogs to the easy win.

Ryan Berry was shelled in 3 1/3 innings of work, giving up nine runs on seven hits, with five runs being earned. The loss drops the Owls into the losers bracket on Tuesday.

Tar Heels tame Tigers

North Carolina evidently didn't get the memo regarding higher seeds losing in the first round, as they handled LSU 8-4 to move into Tuesday's matchup with Fresno State.

The Tar Heels played small ball against the red-hot Tigers, putting together three straight singles to jump out to a 3-1 lead that they never relinquished. LSU got home runs from Michael Holander and Matt Clark to lead off the first two innings, but North Carolina pitcher Alex White shut the Tigers down after that in pitching seven strong innings.

Here's how the 2008 College World Series schedule looks so far:

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Fresno State 17, Rice 5
Game 4: North Carolina 8, LSU 4

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Florida State (54-13) vs. Miami (52-10), 1 p.m.
Game 6: Stanford (40-22-2) vs. Georgia (42-23-1), 6 p.m.

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: Rice (47-14) vs. LSU (48-18-1), 1 p.m.
Game 8: Fresno State (43-29) vs. North Carolina (52-12), 6 p.m.

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 6 p.m.

Thursday, June 19
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 6 p.m.

Friday, June 20
Game 11: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 9, 1 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 10, 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 21
Game 13: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 12, 6 p.m.

(NOTE: If only one game is played Saturday, it will be at 6 p.m.)

Championship Series

(NOTE: All start times are at 6 p.m.)

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Bracket winners

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Bracket winners

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Bracket winners (if necessary)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Stanford, Georgia get CWS victories

Sunny skies greeted fans and teams as the 2008 College World Series got underway Saturday, and Stanford and Georgia pulled off upsets to highlight the first day of play at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Stanford explodes late for win

Florida State had battled back from a three-run deficit to tie the game at 5-5 going into the ninth, but Stanford exploded for a record-tying 11 runs in the ninth to send the Seminoles to the losers bracket with a 16-5 victory in Saturday's series opener.

A three-run homer by Brent Milleville highlighted the late outburst for the Cardinal (40-22-2), who moved into Monday night's winners' bracket game against Georgia. The 11-run outburst was the most since Cal State Fullerton scored 11 runs in the first inning of their 1994 CWS game against LSU. The game lasted four hours and 11 minutes, the third longest nine-inning game in CWS history.

Florida State trailed 5-2 in the eighth when Jason Stidham hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 5-5. Stanford's pitching, led by a strong starting effort from lefthander Jeremy Bleich, had kept the explosive Seminoles in check until late and held Florida State well under the 11 runs a game they have averaged during the NCAA tournament.

The loss puts the Seminoles (54-13) in a familiar position this postseason. They won four in a row to take their regional after losing the opener to Bucknell, then spotted WIchita State a game before winning two in a row to take the super regional and qualify for the CWS.

Late mistakes cost Miami

Miami has been untouchable when holding the lead in the ninth inning, but Georgia (42-23-1) found a way to come from behind to take a 7-4 win with four runs in the ninth inning.

Unfortunately for the top-seeded Hurricanes, the reason for their first blown save of the season was an untimely throwing error by relief pitcher Carlos Gutierrez, who tried to throw a runner out at first and wound up throwing wild, allowing two Georgia runs to cross the plate and break a 4-4 tie.

Bryce Massanari singled to lead off the ninth for the Bulldogs, and after pinch-runner Adam Fuller advanced on a sacrifice, Robbie O'Bryan reached on a wild third strike to give Georgia runners on the corners. Lyle Allen singled home the tying run and David Thoms followed with an infielder grounder that Gutierrez fielded and threw wildly past first.

Blake Tekotte hit a two-run homer in the third to give Miami a 3-1 advantage and withstood a Georgia rally in the seventh to hang on to a 4-3 lead going to the ninth. The Hurricanes (52-10) were 46-0 when leading going to the ninth inning, but suffered their first such setback this season to drop into the losers bracket against in-state rival Florida State.

Here's how the 2008 College World Series schedule looks so far:

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford 16, Florida State 5
Game 2: Georgia 7, Miami 4

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Rice (47-13) vs. Fresno State (42-29), 1 p.m.
Game 4: North Carolina (51-12) vs. LSU (48-17-1), 6 p.m.

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Florida State (54-13) vs. Miami (52-10), 1 p.m.
Game 6: Stanford (40-22-2) vs. Georgia (42-23-1), 6 p.m.

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 1 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 6 p.m.

Thursday, June 19
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 6 p.m.

Friday, June 20
Game 11: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 9, 1 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 10, 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 21
Game 13: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 12, 6 p.m.

(NOTE: If only one game is played Saturday, it will be at 6 p.m.)

Championship Series

(NOTE: All start times are at 6 p.m.)

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Bracket winners

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Bracket winners

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Bracket winners (if necessary)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Our predictions for the 2008 College World Series

Here's how we think the 2008 College World series is going to shake out:

Bracket One

First Round: Florida State over Stanford, Miami over Georgia
Second Round: Georgia over Stanford (Stanford eliminated), Miami over Florida State
Third Round: Florida State over Georgia (Georgia eliminated)
Final: Miami over Florida State (Florida State eliminated)
BRACKET CHAMPION -- Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes

Bracket Two

First Round: Rice over Fresno State, North Carolina over LSU
Second Round: LSU over Fresno State (Fresno State eliminated), North Carolina over Rice
Third Round: LSU over Rice (Rice eliminated)
Final: LSU over North Carolina, North Carolina over LSU (LSU eliminated)
BRACKET CHAMPION -- North Carolina Tar Heels

Championship Series

Game One: North Carolina over Miami
Game Two: Miami over North Carolina
Game Three: North Carolina over Miami
2008 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS -- North Carolina Tar Heels

College World Series schedule

The 2008 College World Series starts Saturday as the nation's top college baseball teams gather at Rosenblatt Stadium to battle for the national championship in NCAA Div. I.

This year's schedule is as follows:

Tournament Schedule

(NOTE: All times listed are Central)

Saturday, June 14
Game 1: Stanford (39-22-2) vs. Florida State (54-12), 1 p.m.
Game 2: Miami (52-9) vs. Georgia (41-23-1), 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 15
Game 3: Rice (47-13) vs. Fresno State (42-29), 1 p.m.
Game 4: North Carolina (51-12) vs. LSU (48-17-1), 6 p.m.

Monday, June 16
Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1 p.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, June 17
Game 7: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 1 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, June 18
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 6 p.m.

Thursday, June 19
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 6 p.m.

Friday, June 20
Game 11: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 9, 1 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 10, 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 21
Game 13: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 12, 6 p.m.

(NOTE: If only one game is played Saturday, it will be at 6 p.m.)

Championship Series

(NOTE: All start times are at 6 p.m.)

Monday, June 23
Game 1: Bracket winners

Tuesday, June 24
Game 2: Bracket winners

Wednesday, June 25
Game 3: Bracket winners (if necessary)

Order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

LSU, Fresno State are final two in College World Series

The two remaining super regionals wrapped up Monday night, as LSU and Fresno State will join Miami (Fla.), Georgia, Stanford, Florida State, North Carolina and Rice in the 2008 College World Series.

Here's a wrap-up of Monday's super regional finales:

LSU blows out UC Irvine

LSU exploded for six runs and never let UC Irvine even think about a late rally, blowing out the Anteaters 21-7 to earn a trip to the College World Series.

LSU came back from the dead in Sunday's second game, and that momentum carried over into the start of Monday's game. Ryan Schimpf hit a pair of home runs and had five RBI's, and Blake Dean went 5-for-5 with a home run and three RBI's to highlight the Tiger explosion.

Jordan Brown got the win in relief for LSU, which played its last game in its old Alex Box Stadium to a record crowd of 8,173.

Bulldogs pull off historical upset

Fresno State made history Monday night, becoming the first No. 4 seed from a regional to advance to the College World Series.

It wasn't easy, though -- the Bulldogs saw a seven-run lead trimmed to the point where Matt Newman came to the plate as the winning run, and Fresno State got out of the bases-loaded jam to win 12-9 and earn a trip to the College World Series.

Newman hit a pair of home runs for the Sun Devils, the second giving Arizona State a 5-4 lead in the fifth. Fresno State tied the game in the sixth, then exploded for six runs in the seventh, capped by a bases-clearing double by Erik Wetzel and a two-run bomb by Steve Susdorf, to take a seemingly-insurmountable 12-5 advantage into the ninth.

The Sun Devils rallied, but it wasn't enough as they lost a regional series at home for the first time since 2001.

The 2008 College World Series gets underway Saturday, June 14 with opening-round games in the double-elimination tournament Saturday and Sunday. First-round games and start times (times are Central) are as follows:

Saturday, June 15 -- GAME 1: Stanford (39-22-2) vs. Florida State (54-12), 1 p.m.; GAME 2: Miami Fla. (52-9) vs. Georgia (41-23-1), 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 16 -- GAME 3: North Carolina (51-12) vs. LSU (48-17-1), 1 p.m.; GAME 4: Rice (47-13) vs. Fresno State (42-29), 6 p.m.

You can order your College World Series tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no College World Series game is ever sold out.

Six teams secure College World Series bid

The field for the 2008 College World Series is almost set, with one game/two games scheduled for Monday to determine the final spots in the field. Here's a recap of Sunday's action:

Left Bracket

Miami hangs on, beats Arizona

Miami scored three runs in the top of the first and made it stand up as they advanced to the College World Series with a 4-2 win over Arizona Sunday night.

Yonder Alonso hit a two-run homer in the first to help spark the Hurricanes to the early lead. Arizona had a chance to come back and tie the game late, but left the bases loaded as reliever Carlos Gutierrez pitched Miami out of trouble and picked up the save.

The win secured Miami's 23rd trip to the College World Series and first since 2006.

Georgia wraps up tournament trip

Gordon Beckham hit a pair of homers and drove in four runs as Georgia pounded North Carolina State 17-8 to secure the Bulldogs' third CWS bid in five years.

The Bulldogs jumped Wolfpack starter Eric Surkamp and put nine runs on the board in the botom of the first inning to put things out of reach early.

Georgia also got homer runs from Ryan Peisel, Bryce Massanari and Joey Lewis.

Seminoles explode against Shockers

Florida State continued its trend of offensive explosions with a six-run first inning on their way to an 11-4 win over Wichita State to clinch a College World Series bid.

Jack Rye hit a three-run homer in the first inning to spark the Seminoles to their 13th College World Series trip. Florida State has scored 99 runs in their six tournament wins, all coming while facing elimination.

Right Bracket

Tar Heels going back to Omaha

North Carolina ended Coastal Carolina's dreams of a first College World Series appearance, scoring six in the second on their way to a 14-4 win and a two-game series sweep.

Adam Warren took a no-hitter into the fifth and threw two-hit ball over six innings to get the Tar Heels the win. Dustin Ackley drove in three runs to highlight the Tar Heels' offensive output.

Tigers avoid elimination

LSU was three outs from elimination before making an improbable comeback to beat UC Irvine 9-7 and force a deciding third game Monday on its home field.

The Tigers got RBI singles from Blake Dean and Sean Ochinko with the bases loaded to help the Tigers storm from behind. Eric Pettis got the win in relief for the Tigers, who avoided back-to-back losses for the first time in well over a month.

Late comeback gives Owls victory

Adam Zornes' two-run homer in the eighth helped Rice come from behind to sweep Texas A&M with a 6-5 win and earn the Owls' third straight College World Series appearance.

It was the second straight year the Owls swept the Aggies to earn a CWS trip. Bobby Bell, who missed all of last year with Tommy John surgery, pitched two scoreless innings of relief to close the door on the Aggies.

Slam helps Bulldogs force third game

Arizona State looked to be in command and cruising toward a super regional sweep, but Fresno State had other plans as they came back for an 8-6 win to force a third game Monday.

The Bulldogs were trailing 5-3 in the fourth when Gavin Hedstrom changed things with a two-out grand slam to left center. Hedstrom drove in another run later to finish with five RBIs.

Greg Bordes was 3-for-4 with a two-run triple that helped Arizona State to a 5-2 lead in the fourth before Hedstrom's slam changed the momentum.

Stanford advances to College World Series

Stanford is the first team to punch their ticket to the 2008 College World Series, and three super regional series will need a third game to decide the champion. Here's a rundown of Saturday's results:

Left Bracket

Stanford sweeps Titans

A three-run rally in the sixth inning helped Stanford hold off a Cal State Fullerton comeback, giving the Cardinal an 8-5 win and a trip to the College World Series.

Stanford, which swept the Titans in an earlier series this year, got a big lift from Jason Castro, who hit a bases-clearing double in the sixth to give Stanford the lead for good. The hit came after Cal State Fullerton tied the game in the top of the inning on an RBI double by Erik Komatsu.

The loss was only the second time Cal State Fullerton lost a super regional in its history and the first time they were swept in 30 super regional appearances.

Wolfpack ties series with Georgia

A four-run seventh inning helped North Carolina State avoid elimination with a 10-6 win over Georgia Saturday.

The Wolfpack got two RBIs each from Jeremy Synan, Ryan Pond, Tommy Foschi and Russell Wilson to make a Sunday winner-take-all game neccessary.

Georgia has never lost a regional or super regional at home. North Carolina State is trying for their first CWS appearance since 1968.

Seminoles bounce back again

Last week, Florida State was shut out in its regional opener, then exploded for over 50 runs to win their regional.

They did it again Saturday, bouncing back from a first-game defeat to pound Wichita State 14-4 and require a third game in the super regional Sunday.

Matt Fairel threw eight innings of solid ball for the host Seminoles and ended Wichita State's 10-game winning streak. Dennis Guinn's two-run single sparked a five-run third inning that broke a 3-3 tie.

Miami hangs on against Arizona

Facing elimination at home, Miami hung on down the stretch and outscored Arizona 14-10 to tie their super regional series at 1-1.

Mark Sobolewski homered in the sixth to spark a four-run inning that gave Miami the lead for good. Miami trailed 4-1 going into the fourth and scored six to take the lead, but Arizona answered with three runs of their own to tie the game at 7-7 after four innings.

Right Bracket

Anteaters snap Tigers' winning streak

UC Irvine has no problem going on the road to earn a trip to the College World Series, and they proved it by beating LSU 11-5 in their super regional opener Saturday.

The win is a huge one, as it not only moves the Anteaters to within one game of a second straight CWS appearance, but it ended LSU's nation-leading 23-game win streak.

Sean Madigan and Brock Bardeen both homered for the Anteaters, who broke the game open with eight runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

UNC takes advantage of errors

North Carolina made the most of six Coastal Carolina miscues to post a 9-4 win in their regional opener on Saturday.

Kyle Seager, Kyle Shelton and Seth Williams each drove in a pair of runs to move the second-seeded Tar Heels to within a game of a third straight CWS trip. Alex White pitched well in the winning effort, striking out six and scattering eight hits over seven innings.

Owls hold off Texas A&M

Cole St. Clair pitched very well in relief and got some timely hitting to help Rice beat Texas A&M 9-7 in their first super regional matchup Saturday.

Jordan Dodson drove in four runs, two coming on a double in the fifth inning. He later came home on an error to help Rice regain the momentum after the Aggies tied the game at 5-5 with three in the top of the fifth.

Rice is one win away from their seventh CWS appearance in the last 12 seasons. They haven't lost a regional or super regional game since 2006.

Sun Devils have no problems

Arizona State took command early and got a pair of homers from Ryan Sontag to blast Fresno State 12-4 in their first super regional matchup.

The Sun Devils have been in double digits three times in four postseason games. Petey Paramore had a pair of RBIs and Jason Kipnis and Brett Wallace each had three hits for the Sun Devils.

Road teams successful in super regionals Friday

Super regional play got underway Friday afternoon, and three of the four road teams put their hosts on the brink of elimination. Here is a breakdown of results from the opening day of the final weekend before the College World Series:

Georgia handles Wolfpack

Georgia moved to within one win of their third CWS appearance in five years with a convincing 11-4 win over North Carolina State.

Trevor Holder was solid on the mound for the Bulldogs, going 8 2/3 innings to get the win. He got plenty of offensive support, led by Gordon Beckham, who gave Georgia the lead for good with a two-run double in the third.

Joey Lewis and Miles Starr both drove in a pair for the Bulldogs, who have won five straight since opening tournament play with a loss to Lipscomb.

Shockers outlast Seminoles

Conor Gillaspie is an Omaha native, and he helped Wichita State draw first blood in Tallahassee, Fla., on Friday with a key three-run homer that sparked a four-run sixth inning to help the Shockers to a 10-7 win.

Josh Workman had three hits for the Shockers and Rob Musgrave pitched 5 2/3 innings to get the win for Wichita State.

Florida State lost its first game in regionals, but came roaring back to advance to this round last weekend. They'll need to win the final two games of the series to earn a trip to Omaha.

Extra-inning heroics for Arizona

Arizona and top-seeded Miami were locked in a classic battle in their first game Friday evening, and it took some extra-inning heroics for the visiting Wildcats to come away with a 6-3 win in 11 innings.

Jon Gaston's three-run blast to right in the top of the inning came with two outs and broke the tie to give Arizona the one-game advantage. Relief pitcher Carlos Gutierrez looked to be cruising in the inning before hitting Colt Sedbrook with an 0-2 pitch. He gave up a single to Brad Glenn, then the decisive blast to Gaston.

Jason Stoffel picked up the win in relief, striking out five in three innings.

Stanford hangs on for 4-3 win

Stanford struck early, then hung on to beat Cal State Fullerton 4-3 to take a one-game lead in the best-of-three series.

Jeremy Bleich had an inspiring effort in his first win since being out of the lineup for almost two months with tendonitis in his pitching elbow. He pitched six strong innings and allowed just three hits to help Stanford post its fourth straight win over the Titans this season.

Jason Castro and Sean Ratliff both hit homers for the Cardinal. Erik Komatsu hit a two-run homer in the eight for the hosts, but it wasn't enough.

Game two of each of the above series is scheduled for Saturday. Any third games that are needed will be played Sunday.

Four super regionals begin play on Saturday. Those machups, with local start times, are:

Coastal Carolina at North Carolina, 12 p.m.

Texas A&M at Rice, 2 p.m.

UC Irvine at LSU, 5 p.m.

Fresno State at Arizona State, 6 p.m.

Super regional start times noted

Super regionals get under way Friday as the 16-team field is reduced to the final eight that will play in the College World Series beginning Saturday, June 14.

The start times for the eight super-regionals are noted below. Teams in the left bracket will play games Friday, Saturday and Sunday if needed. Teams competing in the right bracket play games Saturday, Sunday and Monday if needed. All times noted are local start times.

Left Bracket

Arizona at Miami (Fla.) -- Game 1: 7 p.m.; Game 2: 7:30 p.m.; Game 3: 7 p.m.

North Carolina State at Georgia -- Game 1: 12 p.m.; Game 2: 12 p.m.; Game 3: 4 p.m.

Stanford at Cal State Fullerton -- Game 1: 7:30 p.m.; Game 2: 4:30 p.m.; Game 3: 4 p.m.

Wichita State at Florida State -- Game 1: 2 p.m.; Game 2: 12 p.m.; Game 3: 1 p.m.

Right Bracket

Coastal Carolina at North Carolina -- Game 1: 12  p.m.; Game 2: 1 p.m.; Game 3: 12:30 p.m. or 7 p.m.

UC Irvine at LSU -- Game 1: 5 p.m.; Game 2: 3 p.m.; Game 3: 6 p.m.

Texas A&M at Rice -- Game 1: 2 p.m.; Game 2: 6 p.m.; Game 3: 11:30 a.m. or 6 p.m.

Fresno State at Arizona State -- Game 1: 6 p.m.; Game 2: 7 p.m.; Game 3: 4 p.m.

Super regional field is set

The field has been set for super regionals after six regionals completed play Monday.

Results of Monday's regional finals and this weekend's super regional matchups are as follows:

Left Bracket

at Stanford (Calif.) -- Stanford def. Pepperdine 9-7. STANFORD advances

at Athens (Ga.) -- Georgia def. Georgia Tech 18-6. GEORGIA advances

at Fullerton (Calif.) -- Cal State Fullerton def. UCLA 5-4. CAL STATE FULLERTON advances

at Tallahassee (Fla.) -- Florida State def. Tulane 16-7. FLORIDA STATE advances

Right Bracket

at College Station (Texas) -- Texas A&M def. Houston 13-5. TEXAS A&M advances

at Long Beach (Calif.) -- Fresno State def. San Diego 5-1. FRESNO STATE advances

Super Regional Matchups

Left Bracket

Games are Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary)

Arizona at (1) Miami (Fla.)

North Carolina State at (8) Georgia

Stanford at (5) Cal State Fullerton

Wichita State at (4) Florida State

Right Bracket

Games are Saturday, Sunday and Monday (if necessary)

Coastal Carolina at (2) North Carolina

UC Irvine at (7) LSU

Texas A&M at (6) Rice

Fresno State at (3) Arizona State

Saturday's regional results

Saturday's regional tournament results are as follows:

Left Bracket

At Miami (Fla.) -- Ole Miss def. Bethune-Cookman 14-1 (B-C eliminated), Miami (Fla.) def. Missouri 6-5

At Ann Arbor (Mich.) -- Michigan def. Kentucky 7-5 (completion of suspended game), Kentucky def. Eastern Michigan 4-3 (E. Michigan eliminated), Arizona def. Michigan 4-3

At Raleigh (N.C.) -- James Madison def. Charlotte 13-12 (Charlotte eliminated), N.C. State def. South Carolina 5-4

At Athens (Ga.) -- Georgia def. Louisville 9-8 (Georgia eliminated), Georgia Tech def. Lipscomb 6-3

At Fullerton (Calif.) -- Virginia def. Rider 8-2 (Rider eliminated), UCLA def. Cal State Fullerton 11-4

At Stanford (Calif.) -- Stanford def. Arkansas 5-1 (Arkansas eliminated), Pepperdine def. UC Davis 7-4

At Stillwater (Okla.) -- TCU def. Western Kentucky 10-5 (W. Kentucky eliminated), Wichita State def. Oklahoma State 5-3

At Tallahassee (Fla.) -- Florida State def. Florida 17-11 (Florida eliminated), Tulane def. Bucknell 4-1

Right Bracket

At Cary (N.C.) -- Elon def. Mt. St. Mary's 6-3 (Mt. St. Mary's eliminated), North Carolina def. UNC Wilmington 5-1

At Conway (S.C.) -- East Carolina def. Columbia 9-0 (Columbia eliminated), Coastal Carolina def. Alabama 13-10

At Lincoln (Neb.) -- Oral Roberts def. Eastern Illinois 8-7 (E. Illinois eliminated), UC Irvine def. Nebraska 3-2

At Baton Rouge (La.) -- New Orleans def. Texas Southern 18-5 (Texas Southern eliminated), LSU def. Southern Miss. 13-4

At Houston (Texas) -- Texas def. Sam Houston State 13-3 (Sam Houston State eliminated), Rice def. St. John's 11-2

At College Station (Texas) -- Illinois-Chicago def. Dallas Baptist 9-5 (Dallas Baptist eliminated), Texas A&M def. Houston 22-4

At Long Beach (Calif.) -- Long Beach State def. California 9-2 (California eliminated), Fresno State def. San Diego 6-0

At Tempe (Ariz.) -- Vanderbilt def. Stony Brook 9-4 (Stony Brook eliminated), Arizona State def. Oklahoma 15-3

Results from regional play

Regional play is underway at the NCAA Div. I baseball tournament. Here are Friday's results:

Left Bracket

At Coral Gables, Fla. -- Miami def. Bethune Cookman 7-4, Missouri def. Ole Miss 7-0

At Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Arizona def. Eastern Michigan 13-7, Michigan vs. Kentucky in rain delay with Michigan leading 5-1 in 5th.

At Raleigh, N.C. -- North Carolina State def. James Madison 6-2, South Carolina def. Charlotte 15-8

At Athens, Ga. -- Lipscomb def. Georgia 10-7, Georgia Tech def. Louisville 8-5

At Fullerton, Calif. -- Cal State Fullerton def. Rider 11-0, UCLA def. Virginia 3-2

At Stanford, Calif. -- UC Davis def. Stanford 4-2, Pepperdine def. Arkansas 4-3

At Stillwater, Okla. -- Oklahoma State def. Western Kentucky 5-3, Wichita State def. TCU 8-5

At Tallahassee, Fla. -- Bucknell def. Florida State 7-0, Tulane def. Florida 7-4

Right Bracket

At Cary, N.C. -- North Carolina def. Mount St. Mary's 16-8, UNC Wilmington def. Elon 5-2

At Conway, S.C. -- Coastal Carolina def. Columbia 10-2, Alabama def. East Carolina 16-3

At Lincoln, Neb. -- Nebraska def. Eastern Illinois 13-10, UC Irvine def. Oral Roberts 9-7

At Baton Rouge, La. -- LSU def. Texas Southern 12-1, Southern Miss def. New Orleans 13-6

At Houston Texas -- Rice def. Sam Houston State 3-2, St. John's def. Texas 2-1

At College Station, Texas -- Texas A&M def. Illinois-Chicago 15-1 Houston def. Dallas Baptist 9-5

At Long Beach, Calif. -- Fresno State def. Long Beach State 7-3, San Diego def. California 5-0

At Tempe, Ariz. -- Arizona State def. Stony Brook 9-7, Oklahoma def. Vanderbilt 8-5

Here's how regionals will play out (we think)

We may be right, or we may be crazy. But regardless of how it looks, here's how we're predicting the 16 regionals to pan out for the NCAA Div. I baseball tournament:

Miami (Fla.) regional

Friday: Miami over Bethune-Cookman, Missouri over Ole Miss; Saturday: Ole Miss over Bethune-Cookman, Miami over Missouri; Sunday: Missouri over Ole Miss, Miami over Missouri. Advancing: Miami

Ann Arbor (Mich.) regional

Friday: Arizona over Eastern Michigan, Kentucky over Michigan; Saturday: Michigan over Eastern Michigan, Arizona over Kentucky; Sunday: Michigan over Kentucky, Michigan over Arizona; Monday: Michigan over Arizona. Advancing: Michigan

Raleigh (N.C.) regional

Friday: North Carolina State over James Madison, South Carolina over Charlotte; Saturday: Charlotte over James Madison, South Carolina over North Carolina State; Sunday: North Carolina State over Charlotte, South Carolina over North Carolina State. Advancing: South Carolina

Athens (Ga.) regional

Friday: Georgia over Lipscomb, Louisville over Georgia Tech; Saturday: Georgia Tech over Lipscomb, Louisville over Georgia; Sunday: Georgia over Georgia Tech, Louisville over Georgia. Advancing: Louisville

Fullerton (Calif.) regional

Friday: Cal State Fulleron over Rider, Virginia over UCLA; Saturday: UCLA over Rider, Cal State Fullerton over Virginia; Sunday: UCLA over Virginia, UCLA over Cal State Fullerton; Monday: Cal State Fullerton over UCLA. Advancing: Cal State Fullerton

Stanford (Calif.) regional

Friday: UC Davis over Stanford, Pepperdine over Arkansas; Saturday: Stanford over Arkansas, UC Davis over Pepperdine; Sunday: Stanford over Pepperdine, Stanford over UC Davis; Monday: UC Davis over Stanford. Advancing: UC Davis

Stillwater (Okla.) regional

Friday: Oklahoma State over Western Kentucky, TCU over Wichita State; Saturday: Wichita State over Western Kentucky, TCU over Oklahoma State; Sunday: Oklahoma State over Wichita State, Oklahoma State over TCU; Monday: TCU over Oklahoma State. Advancing: TCU

Tallahassee (Fla.) regional

Friday: Florida State over Bucknell, Tulane over Florida; Saturday: Florida over Bucknell, Florida State over Tulane; Sunday: Florida over Tulane, Florida State over Florida. Advancing: Florida State

Cary (N.C.) regional

Friday: North Carolina over Mount St. Mary's, UNC Wilmington over Elon; Saturday: Elon over Mount St. Mary's, North Carolina over UNC Wilmington; Sunday: UNC Wilmington over Elon, North Carolina over UNC Wilmington. Advancing: North Carolina

Conway (S.C.) regional

Friday: Coastal Carolina over Columbia, East Carolina over Alabama; Saturday: Alabama over Columbia, Coastal Carolina over East Carolina; Sunday: East Carolina over Alabama, East Carolina over Coastal Carolina; Monday: Coastal Carolina over East Carolina. Advancing: Coastal Carolina

Lincoln (Neb.) regional

Friday: Nebraska over Eastern Illinois, UC Irvine over Oral Roberts; Saturday: Oral Roberts over Eastern Illinois, Nebraska over UC Irvine; Sunday: UC Irvine over Oral Roberts, Nebraska over UC Irvine. Advancing: Nebraska

Baton Rouge (La.) regional

Friday: LSU over Texas Southern, New Orleans over Southern Miss; Saturday: Southern Miss over Texas Southern, LSU over New Orleans; Sunday: Southern Miss over New Orleans, LSU over Southern Miss. Advancing: LSU

Houston (Texas) regional

Friday: Rice over Sam Houston State, Texas over St. John's; Saturday: Sam Houston State over St. John's, Texas over Rice; Sunday: Rice over Sam Houston State, Rice over Texas; Monday: Texas over Rice. Advancing: Texas

College Station (Texas) regional

Friday: Texas A&M over Illinois-Chicago, Houston over Dallas Baptist; Saturday: Dallas Baptist over Illinois-Chicago, Houston over Texas A&M; Sunday: Texas A&M over Dallas Baptist, Houston over Texas A&M. Advancing: Houston

Long Beach (Calif.) regional

Friday: Long Beach State over Fresno State, San Diego over California; Saturday: California over Fresno State, San Diego over Long Beach State; Sunday: California over Long Beach State, San Diego over California. Advancing: San Diego

Tempe (Ariz.) regional

Friday: Arizona State over Stony Brook, Vanderbilt over Oklahoma; Saturday: Oklahoma over Stony Brook, Arizona State over Vanderbilt; Sunday: Vanderbilt over Oklahoma, Arizona State over Vanderbilt. Advancing: Arizona State

Regionals: Observations on the 64-team field

A few observations regarding the 64-team bracket for the NCAA Div. I baseball tournament:

Bumpiest road to Omaha -- You'd think getting the No. 1 seed in the tournament would mean something, but not in the case of the Miami Hurricanes. We're not sure if they have enemies on the selection board, but they sure didn't get an easy regional to host.

The Hurricanes must wade through Ole Miss and Missouri -- both of whom are talented teams with very solid pitching staffs -- just to get out of regionals. If they survive that, they face the winner of a regional that includes a solid Michigan team, a salty Kentucky squad and a surging Arizona team.

The eight teams that reach the College World Series are all deserving, but the winner of this part of the bracket may be the most deserving of them all.

Team nobody wants to face -- The hottest team in the field right now, without a doubt, is the LSU Tigers.

Winners of 20 straight, the Tigers are back in the thick of the national race after a two-year hiatus and stormed through the Southeastern Conference tournament, far and away the toughest tournament this year.

The Tigers should have no problem getting out of their regional, and if they keep playing well you have to wonder just what kind of a fight the winner of the Nebraska regional can put up to keep the Tigers from making the trip to Omaha.

Most undeserving seed -- Would somebody explain to us how Georgia, who two-and-'cued the SEC tournament, got a No. 8 seed ahead of Oklahoma State, who was playing much better at the end of the year?

Of course, had Oklahoma State not stumbled against Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament, the whole point would be moot and the 'Pokes would be sitting pretty in the No. 8 slot.

There's also a case to be made for San Diego, who won a tough West Coast Conference and have arguably the best 1-2 pitching combination in the country. Georgia just simply doesn't impress us as a No. 8 seed.

Most undesrving regional host -- Texas A&M very easily could have been left out of the regional race, in spite of its high RPI, after losing its last six regular-season games and its first two in the Big 12 tournament.

Again, San Diego was probably more deserving of a regional host site and, quite frankly, is a better team than the Aggies. The Toreros stand a good chance of winning the Long Beach Regional -- the Aggies, on the other hand, should thank their lucky stars if they can survive their own part of the bracket.

It would not surprise us to see to either advance to super-regionals or take the early exit -- it depends on which Texas A&M team shows up this weekend.

Easiest road to Omaha -- We're going to jinx North Carolina with this honor. But don't sell the Tar Heels short -- it's not that their part of the bracket is easy so much as their talent level and experience is so far and above the other teams that stand between them and another trip to Omaha.

North Carolina should get through their regional without any problem, and the super regional is going to be either Coastal Carolina -- who upset the Heels early in the season -- or East Carolina. While both teams are solid, they're just not at the Heels' level.

Anyone can win -- The one regional to watch is the Long Beach regional, where we feel any of the four teams can come away with the trip to super regionals.

Long Beach is the favorite and has played very well at home this year, but faces a pretty salty Fresno State team in the first round. The other half includes two teams that have been in and out of the top 10 this year in California and San Diego.

The winner here will have to face Arizona State, who could very well be the team to beat if they make it to Omaha and play at the level they were competing at early in the year.

Don't be surprised if -- UC Davis comes out of the Stanford regional. Although they finished sixth in the Big West, the Aggies have held their own pretty well and could win what might be a deceptively-strong regional with Arkansas and Pepperdine on board.

We also think TCU and Houston have good shots at winning their regionals at Oklahoma State and Texas A&M, respectively. Coming out of those regionals would be nice feathers in the caps of the Mountain West and Conference USA conferences.

Then there's Louisville, who made it to Omaha last year and are the third seed behind the two Georgia schools at Georgia's regional. With their returning experience, seeing them advance wouldn't be that big of an upset.

Miami leads the 64-team tournament field

The 64-team field has been announced for the NCAA Div. I baseball tournament, and the University of Miami Hurricanes leads the field of teams looking for a trip to Omaha for the College World Series.

Miami won the ACC tournament title and is one of three ACC teams among the top eight national seeds. North Carolina is No. 2 and Florida State is No. 4 in the group of the top eight seeds.

Two SEC teams made it into the top eight. LSU, which has been on fire lately and has won 20 in a row, is the No. 7 seed while Georgia, the SEC regular-season champion, is in at No. 8 despite going 0-2 in their conference tournament.

The other teams among the top eight national seeds include No. 3 Arizona State, No. 5 Cal State Fullerton and No. 6 Rice.

Eight more teams secured No. 1 seeds for regional tournament action this weekend. All but Arizona will host their regional tournaments, with the Wildcats heading up to Michigan where No. 2 seed Michigan will serve as host. Other host schools include North Carolina State, Stanford, Oklahoma State, Coastal Carolina, Nebraska, Texas A&M and Long Beach State.

The 64-team field shapes up as follows:

Left Bracket

At Coral Gables, Fla. -- 1. Miami (47-8) vs. 4. Bethune Cookman (36-20), 2. Missouri (38-19) vs. 3. Ole Miss (37-24)

At Ann Arbor, Mich. -- 1. Arizona (38-17) vs. 4. Eastern Michigan (25-32), 2. Michigan (45-12) vs. 3. Kentucky (42-17)

At Raleigh, N.C. -- 1. North Carolina State (38-20) vs. 4. James Madison (38-17), 2. South Carolina (38-21) vs. 3. Charlotte (43-14)

At Athens, Ga. -- 1. Georgia (35-21-1) vs. 4. Lipscomb (32-28), 2. Georgia Tech (39-19) vs. 3. Louisville (41-19)

At Fullerton, Calif. -- 1. Cal State Fullerton (37-19) vs. 4. Rider (29-26), 2. UCLA (31-25) vs. 3. Virginia (38-21)

At Stanford, Calif. -- 1. Stanford (33-21-2) vs. 4. UC Davis (34-22), 2. Pepperdine (36-19) vs. 3. Arkansas (34-22)

At Stillwater, Okla. -- 1. Oklahoma State (42-16) vs. 4. Western Kentucky (33-25), 2. Wichita State (44-15) vs. 3. TCU (43-17)

At Tallahassee, Fla. -- 1. Florida State (48-10) vs. 4. Bucknell (29-22-2), 2. Florida (34-22) vs. Tulane (37-20-1)

Right Bracket

At Cary, N.C. -- 1. North Carolina (46-12) vs. 4. Mount St. Mary's (21-32), 2. UNC Wilmington (42-15-1) vs. 3. Elon (43-16)

At Conway, S.C. -- 1. Coastal Carolina (47-12) vs. 4. Columbia (22-28), 2. East Carolina (40-19) vs. 3. Alabama (34-26)

At Lincoln, Neb. -- 1. Nebraska (40-14-1) vs. 4. Eastern Illinois (27-28), 2. UC Irvine (38-16) vs. 3. Oral Roberts (46-12)

At Baton Rouge, La. -- 1. LSU (43-16-1) vs. 4. Texas Southern (16-32), 2. Southern Miss (40-20) vs. 3. New Orleans (42-19)

At Houston Texas -- 1. Rice (42-13) vs. 4. Sam Houston State (37-23), 2. Texas (37-20) vs. 3. St. John's (41-14)

At College Station, Texas -- 1. Texas A&M (43-16) vs. Illinois-Chicago (34-20), 2. Dallas Baptist (37-17) vs. 3. Houston (39-22)

At Long Beach, Calif. -- 1. Long Beach State (37-19) vs. 4. Fresno State (37-27), 2. San Diego (41-15) vs. 3. California (33-19-2)

At Tempe, Ariz. -- 1. Arizona State (45-11) vs. 4. Stony Brook (34-24), 2. Vanderbilt (40-20) vs. 3. Oklahoma (34-24-1)

Regional winners advance to the best-of-three super regional series, with super regional winners advancing to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., beginning June 14.