Omaha Eight

I guess it's true what they say; all good things must come to an end. This is the last year that the College World Series will take place in the historic Johnny Rosenblatt Ballpark in Omaha, Nebraska. Out of nearly 300 division 1 teams, only 8 will make it on the field at Rosenblatt for its final year, and only 1 team will be left standing on June 30th.

The road to Omaha is paved with phenomenal teams, but also with a fair amount of luck! It takes more than a great team to get to the College World Series, it relies on when a team peaks and which regionals and super regionals they are sent to. In 2008, a four seed, and the last team chosen in the field of 64 won the championship. Fresno State played well down the stretch and the team clicked on all cylinders which enabled them to beat teams that were essentially better than them throughout the regular season. They were the ultimate underdog that no one would have predicted to win, yet they did.

There is much anticipation around the 2010 college baseball season which will begin shortly on February 19th. Of course there are the usual favorites and perennial powerhouses in Cal-State Fullerton, Texas, North Carolina, and Arizona State University, that will continue their dominance, but there are also some solid newcomers in the likes of Virginia, East Carolina and Florida State that are sure to make a splash again this year.

Here are my predictions for the eight teams I feel are bound for Omaha in no particular order.

-Cal-State Fullerton – Sticking with the school’s tradition, the Titan’s are back at the top this year. Though they lost some seniors, those roles appear to be filled adequately. With ample pitching, a strong infield led by Colon as well as a strong offense coupled with true West Coast style “small ball”, the Titans are a force to be reckoned with in 2010.

-UC-Irvine – For UCI, pitching will not be an issue as they welcome back their whole staff in Bibona, Bergman, Slaught and closer Pettis. Though there are a few holes to fill defensively with some integral seniors leaving, they are deep enough to fill those areas. Last year this team was knocked out in their own regional by a red hot Virginia, but this year they come back just as talented, more experienced and with a drive to make it to Omaha.

-Louisiana State University – As much as I hate to have LSU as one of my picks for Omaha, I just have to include the returning champions. The past 2 years, they have had exceptional teams, and this year will be no different. They welcome back a large portion of very impactful players such as Gibbs and Landry. Along with the players, Alex Box Stadium draws the most fans of any college baseball team in the country and they create a hostile enviroment for visiting teams.

-Virginia – I had the opportunity to see Virginia play last year in the Regional at Irvine, and they were impressive. They played a flawless brand of baseball. This season they welcome back nearly everyone who played a role on the team last year. With a great young pitching staff led by Hultzen, solid defense and offense, this is a team I see going a long way.

-Florida State – Florida State is a great young team that impressed many last season when they swept their regional. In 2009, they had exceptional pitching and will return their entire staff. On the offensive front, they also return four of their five biggest contributers led by McGee. They should win the ACC with Boston College and Clemson in their footsteps.

-Texas Christian University- TCU won the Mountain West Conference last year and made it all the way to the Super Regionals. This year I have a feeling they will go all the way to Omaha. They return 10 pitchers as well as three all conference members in Appleby, Holaday and Featherston. Texas is a state full of great teams such as Baylor, Rice and the Texas Longhorns, but I see TCU being the dominating force in Lone Star State.

-Arizona State University- Though ASU lost many influential players such as Leake, they welcome back a stud pitcher in Spence who will contribute immensely. Like Fullerton, they are a solid team that knows how to win and to get to Omaha. With Pat Murphy no longer head coach; this team, however good they are, will need to adjust to the new coaching staff in order to make it far in the post season.

-University of San Diego – This might be my West Coast bias speaking, but I have a good feeling about USD this season. They have a great coach in Rich Hill, and do some exceptional recruiting which is hard to do at such an expensive private school on only 11.7 scholarships. They are favored to win the WCC and welcome back the conference player of the year, senior Meador to lead the Torreros.

What teams are you betting on?

Who is your dark horse pick of this season?