The 2018 College World Series will get underway this weekend and we’ll be previewing each bracket of four teams individually.
Bracket two is loaded with every team being a top 16 seed, including three teams in the top 10. Arkansas, Texas, Florida and Texas Tech will battle it out in this bracket.
That opening game in bracket two between Texas and Arkansas will be fun to watch.
We’ll break down each team briefly and then give our prediction below.
5 Arkansas 44-19
It was an uneventful regional for Arkansas as they won three straight and scored 20 in their first two games. They slipt up in game two of the supers against South Carolina, but dominated the other two games. In their six postseason games they’ve scored 52 runs. They have the deepest lineup in the country in my opinion, led by a couple of freshman in Casey Martin (.344) and Heston Kjerstad (.340). Carson Shaddy has been on fire this postseason. They have four players with either 13 or 14 home runs. This lineup is deep and powerful.
Blaine Knight (2.84) and Kacey Murphy (3.12) have been carrying the starting rotation. Knight has gone up against Friday night starters in the SEC all year and still has a perfect 12-0 record. Jake Reindl (2.96), Matt Cronin (2.98), and Barrett Loseke (3.15) are their top arms out of the bullpen. Isaiah Campbell has the best stuff on this team, but hasn’t been able to go deep into games this year as a starter. He could be a key in this World Series.
I really love this Arkansas team and have for quite some time. They have everything they need to win this bracket and the whole thing.
13 Texas 42-21
After going two-and-out in the Big 12 Tournament, this team has turned a page. They swept through the regionals with a big win over rival Texas A&M. And then they shut down one of the best offenses in the country after dropping game one of the supers. Nolan Kingham (4.34) and Chase Shugart (4.07) are their top two starters and have done just enough to keep their offense in the game. Blair Henley could also start, but was used strictly out of the bullpen in the supers. Andy McGuire and Joe Parker Robinson have been great out of the bullpen this postseason.
Their offense can be summed up with one person — Kody Clemson. The run this kid is on is hard to believe. He is 11-for-22 this postseason with 5 home runs, 11 RBI and 6 walks. Those numbers are just ridiculous, and the offense will need him to stay hot in Omaha if they’re going to continue winning. He’s the only player in their lineup hitting over .300. But Zach Zubia is also a force, while David Hamilton and Duke Ellis have done a good job of getting on base in front of them.
I’ll be honest and say I’ve doubted this team all postseason. I picked them to lose the regionals and the super regionals. This team continues to prove a lot of people wrong.
9 Texas Tech 44-18
After scoring nine, 10, and 11 runs in their three regional wins, they scored six, two, and six in the super regionals. They still managed to advance against Duke, but they’ll need their offense to get hot again. Josh Jung (.390, 12 HR, 78 RBI) and Grant Little (.372, 12 HR, 73 RBI) lead the attack. Gabe Holt (.352) and Zach Rheams (.348, 17 HR) add to a very a deep lineup.
They didn’t have a starting pitcher go longer than four innings in the super regionals as they try to piece this pitching staff together. Ryan Shetter (3.03), Dylan Dusek (2.03) and Ty Harpenau (3.38) are three arms they really trust right now. Davis Martin (4.50) and Caleb Kilian (3.04) could start games as well if needed.
The key for Tech will be that offense. They probably have the second or third best lineup in the College World Series, and they’ll need to get hot for the Red Raiders to win.
1 Florida 47-19
Much like last year, the Gators seem to be going through the motions early in the postseason. They had a scare against FAU in the regionals, and then Auburn forced them to a game three in the supers. But bottom line, when this team needs to turn it on, they have the talent and experience to get it done. The lineup has clearly been missing JJ Schwarz, but it sounds like he could be back for Omaha. Teams have been careful with Jonathan India without Schwarz to protect him. Austin Langworthy was huge in the supers. Wil those three back together in the middle of the lineup, suddenly this offense looks a lot deeper.
We know with Florida it’s all about the pitching. Brady Singer (2.30) and Jackson Kowar (3.24) can shutdown any offense in this tournament. If Florida has a lead late, you can forget about it with Michael Byrne (1.59) coming into the game. He three 6.1 scoreless innings in relief in the supers. They have several freshman arms they trust as well with Jordan Butler (4.11), Jack Leftwich (4.32), and Tommy Mace (4.45).
Not having that third starter like they did last year could hurt Florida this time around, but I’m not going to be the to doubt the Gators.
Prediction:
This bracket is absolutely loaded, and anyone can beat anyone. You essentially have four of the top 13 teams in the country playing against each other, which is awesome for fans.
This is also a battle for conference supremacy with the Big 12 going up against the SEC in both first-round matchups. Many consider those conference to be the top two in college baseball.
Not to disrespect our fans in Texas and Big 12 supporters, but I would be surprised if this bracket doesn’t come down to Arkansas and Florida. As I’ve stated, I think Arkansas has the deepest lineup in the country, and enough arms to get the job done. And we know Florida has the pitching to make a run and shut any lineup down.
Winner: Arkansas
